Digestion In Chickens Flashcards
What is the progression of food through a chicken’s digestive system (10 steps)?
- mouth
- esophagus
- crop
- proventriculus
- gizzard (ventriculus)
- small intestine
- ceca (2)
- large intestine
- cloaca
- vent
Do chickens have salivary glands?
yes, they are small and poorly developed
Chickens produce this enzyme, which is of little value due to the anatomy of the mouth and beak
salivary amylase
Does digestion occur in the mouth of a chicken, mechanical or otherwise?
no
the esophagus connects the mouth and _____
proventriculus
the crop is part of the _____
esophagus
the crop is a _______ of the ________
dilation, esophagus
functions of the crop
food storage
moistens food
fermentation (only some species)
Compared to mammals, the proventriculus can be compared to the…
true or glandular stomach
Ingesta passes through the proventriculus ______
rapidly
What is the function of the gizzard?
mechanical digestion
does enzymatic digestion occur in the gizzard?
yes, there are no enzymes secreted, but enzymes from the proventriculus work here
what can be said about the length of the intestine in carnivorous birds compared to herbivorous birds?
the small intestine tends to be longer in herbivorous birds
What enzyme do birds lack?
lactase
Where are the ceca located in chickens?
at the junction of the small and large intestine
The ceca are larger when a bird consumes a diet that is higher in _____
fiber
functions of the ceca
reservoir for bacteria
water absorption
fiber digestion
water soluble vitamin synthesis
What is the function of the avian large intestine
primary site of water absorption, vit K synthesis
what is the function of the cloaca
common orfice for feces, urine, copulation and egg laying
