C11. Digestive Physiology of Poultries

Question 1

The proportion between the body length and the length of the gastrointestinal tract?

Answer 1

Length of GI= 1:5/6

This means shorter passage time of feed – ca 12 hours
o Less time for digestion and absorption of nutrients
o Need to use highly digestible feedstuff

Question 2

Beak

Answer 2

Seed eaters, no teeth, and no buccal muscles

Due to this birds will swallow rough, poorly prepared pieces of feed

Question 3

Beak –> Chicken and turkey

Answer 3

Seedeaters!

• They prefer feedstuff physically similar to seeds
• If we want to increase feed intake we give more seed shaped feed

Question 4

Beak –> Ducks

Beak –> Geese

Answer 4

Adapted to water

• Beak is good for filtering water, filter out different organisms and feeds
• Not very good at picking up solids feeds from the ground (seeds)
• Adapted to grazing

Question 5

What kind of Physical forms of feed to we have?

Answer 5

• Pellets
o Mixed –> Feedstuff–> ground up and pushed together under high pressure
o Length and size is regulated for type and size of birds

• Crumbles
o Also a type of pellet but much smaller
o Good for smaller birds, day old chicks

• Mash
o Grinded/ Grounded feedstuff

Question 6

Crop

Answer 6

Storage place for the food
- Developed for preservation and soaking/ softening of the feed, and to regulate stomach filling/emptiness

Nutritional consequence –> have to feed them continuously –> Ad libitum (free choice basis)

Question 7

Gizzard Stomach

Answer 7

Large circular and longitudinal muscles (strong, lots of movement)
Proventriculus secretes HCl and pepsinogen
When eating seeds, its very active,
Usually stones are added with the seeds (limestone grits) + calcium

• If no stones, we use diets that don’t need the grinding/breaking down. (mash)

Question 8

Small intestine

Answer 8

Small/Short and tight

• TT short / Fast passage time, must feed highly digestible feed
• Since its tight, we need to think about the volume too
• Barley and wheat –> high in NSP (call then antinutrient factors (NSP)

Question 9

Caecum – double

Answer 9

The problem in poultry they are very small, only 10% of nutrients reach it.

• Limited fermentation, (but can fermente VFA)
• This is why: Poultry only need small amount of dietary fibre 2-4% (fibre requirement is LOW)
- Goose can eat some higher fiber