Metabolic heat production and rectal temperature were measured in 19 newborn calves (41.8 +/- 3.7 kg) during hypothermia and recovery when four different means of assistance were provided. Hypothermia of 30 degrees C rectal temperature was induced by immersion in 18 degrees C water. Calves were rewarmed in a 20 to 25 degree C air environment where thermal assistance was provided by added thermal insulation or by supplemental heat from infrared lamps. Other calves were rewarmed by immersion in warm water (38 degrees C), with or without a 40-ml drench of 20% ethanol in water. Resting (prehypothermia) and cold-induced summit metabolism of the calves was 2.5 +/- .1 and 8.2 +/- .22 W/kg and occurred at rectal temperatures of 39.5 +/- .06 and 36.2 +/- .26 degrees C, respectively. During cooling, metabolic heat production declined at the rate of .65 W/kg per degrees C decline in rectal temperature. The time required to regain euthermia from a rectal temperature of 30 degrees C was longer for calves with added insulation and those exposed to heat lamps than for the calves in the warm water and warm water plus ethanol treatments (90 and 92 vs 59 and 63 +/- 6.4 min, respectively). During recovery, the calves rewarmed with the added insulation and heat lamps produced more heat metabolically than the calves rewarmed in warm water. Total heat production during recovery was 34.1, 31.1, 18.3, 16.9 +/- 1.07 kJ/kg for the calves with added insulation, exposed to the heat lamps, in warm water and in warm water plus an oral drench of ethanol, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)