Not a problem, just a question.

[MattalynsBarn]

So I was wondering about the Gizzard. Like what happens if they accidentally fill it too full? And so they ever pass what's in their Gizzard (the stones and such)? And at what age do you need to give them sand/stones for their Gizzard?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
I can only address one of your questions: The gizzard is a step after the food passes through their crop. So I think food goes into the gizzard at a regulated pace, therefore I don't think the gizzard can ever get "too full".

 

[MattalynsBarn]

Wait... which one acts like the teeth and starts the digestion process?

 

[gryeyes]

The crop. That baggy storage place in their neck, sorta.

You give them grit whenever they eat anything other than their commercial feed. You can't give them too much grit, as it will pass through. I use construction sand, or "all purpose" sand you can buy in 50# bags at any home improvement store. Cheap. Lasts a LONG time, even if you use most of it for a dust bath in the run.

Don't get the playground sand, that's more expensive and doesn't have all the differently shaped bits of granite, rock, and pebbles in with the sand.

Also, don't get freaked out if a chick's crop is really full in the afternoon or evening. You think, OMG, what's this tumor?!?!?!? Just a full crop - chicks are feathered pigs. It will all be empty in the morning. (But if it ISN'T and the chick is listless, then it might be a problem with an impacted crop. That's caused by food the chicken cannot digest because there hasn't been any grit provided to grind up the food.)

 

[MattalynsBarn]

Ooooh! okay! Wow I feel silly now :] Thanks though!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

No, the grinding is in the gizzard, NOT the crop. I believe the question was whether or not you can get too much grit in the gizzard, filling it up with grit, and whether teh grit eventually passes through. Good question that I never thought of...

 

[Chris09]

The crop is like a storage area.
The gizzard is a muscle that processes the food...

Gizzard -
• Muscular stomach. Its main function is the grinding of food, and partial digestion of proteins.
ultimatefowl .com/wiki/index.php?title=Gizzard

Gizzard -
•The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including birds, reptiles, earthworms and some fish. This specialized stomach constructed of thick, muscular walls is used for grinding up food; often rocks are also instrumental in this process. In certain insects and mollusks, the gizzard features chitinous plates or teeth.

Gizzard stones -
•Some animals that lack teeth will swallow stones or grit to aid in digestion. All birds have gizzards, but not all will swallow stones or grit. The birds that do employ the following method of 'mastication':
"A bird swallows small bits of gravel that act as 'teeth' in the gizzard, breaking down hard food such as seeds and thus helping digestion." (Solomon et al., 2002).
These stones are called gizzard stones or gastroliths and are usually round and smooth from the polishing action in the animal's stomach. When too smooth to do their required work, they may be passed or regurgitated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard

Chris

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

gigerium sounds very Latin. I wonder if its a hard or soft G?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
The "Gi" sounds like guy

• Gi`ge´ri`um
n. 1. (Anat.) The muscular stomach, or gizzard, of birds.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Gigerium

Chris

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Wow, big difference in the American and British pronunciations--kind of like aluminium. And neither is how I speculated, which was gig ar' i um (hard Gs).

gIj' rE um