Odd Question about Hen eating Worms

[Redfeathers]

I was sitting outside this evening watching the ladies peck around the yard, eat grass and the things chickens like to eat. I saw my little tiny Polish hen pull out a HUGE worm and swallow it down whole. It made me wonder if the worm was wiggling around in her crop for awhile or if they die instantly. Just how long do you think a worm lives once swallowed whole like that?

I know I know...it's time for me to buy a book or get a hobby instead of staring at chickens all evening.

 

[MoodyChicken]

It would live for a while. The crop does not digest, it only lubricates and moistens. One of my hens swallowed a snake live and wiggling. It would eventually suffocate, but if it didn't do that it would meat Mr. Digestion in the proventrilicus where it would bathe in hydrochloric acid... mmmm.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

yikes! alright i really wish i hadn't looked at this thread because now i have wierd pictures in my mind of live snakes and worms wiggling around inside of chickens. ugh. grossss!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Last weekend I overturned all the dirt in both the run & my veggie garden. The chooks GORGED themselves on worms to the point that the couldn't move.

I'm not kidding. I'd never seen a chicken in a food coma!

About an hour later we picked up our fav girl & her crop was all squishy from the worm filling.

I, too, wondered how long they lived in there.