Would like anatomy diagram and explanations

[TimM]

I apologize if this is the wrong forum, but I couldn't find an obvious correct place!

I have searched here and via Google to find two related things, and I can't come up with them. Maybe someone here has a suggestion.

I would like a detailed diagram of the INTERIOR anatomy of a chicken. There are many external diagrams, but I want the inner workings. And along with this, I would love explanations of the key workings. What does the crop do? The gizzard? I understand that a special valve shuts off the intestine when an egg is being laid. Is there a picture of how that happens? A verbal description? Et cetera. Thanks for any leads on this!

TimM

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When chickens eat, the tongue pushes the food back into the esophagus. It then passes to the crop which is a food storage pouch external to the body cavity. It is attached to the top of the right breast. It functions to allow quickly filling when a food source is found and then they can take cover. Many prey animals have similar strategies, like ungulates 4 compartmented stomachs. When the crop is empty, they feel hungry.
Little happens in the mouth and crop other than moistening the food. After food leaves the crop it goes to the proventriculus or primary stomach where it gets a good dose of digestive acids. From there it enters the gizzard or mechanical stomach. This is where food is ground up by the strong muscles tough membrane and small stones that chickens (and other birds) pick up along the way. This is why grit is provided. Grit is insoluble stone like granite or flint. Oyster shell (provided as a calcium source) serves no purpose as grit because it is soluble in that wet acidic environment. Then the feed passes through the intestine where nutrients are absorbed.
Because they don't have hands or teeth, it's important that all things they eat are small enough to pass through the esophagus and that they always have water available.






There are sperm storage ducts in both the vagina and the infundibulum.
After mating the sperm is stored just inside the cloaca. When an egg is laid, it squeezes some out and it makes its way to the infundibulum or funnel. When a mature follicle is released from the ovary, it drops into the funnel and if roosters are present, the egg will be fertilized there. As it moves through the magnum it gets albumen, inner and outer membrane added. In the isthmus more moisture is added. Shell is formed and pigment applied in the shell gland.

 

[TimM]

Wow, thank you for that amazing explanation! And the pics are great, too.

TimM

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You're welcome.
I've been teaching various levels of chicken classes for several years. I can do it in my sleep now.

 

[casportpony]

Here's are a couple of pictures I found the other day:




You can buy the above model at:
http://www.skullsunlimited.com/record_species.php?id=4227

Also like this one:

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-Kathy

 

[TimM]

Beautiful! Thank you! I just ordered the chicken model. It looks wonderful. Now the question is: After I assemble it, will my wife let me display it on top of the refrigerator???

Tim

 

[casportpony]

Beautiful! Thank you! I just ordered the chicken model. It looks wonderful. Now the question is: After I assemble it, will my wife let me display it on top of the refrigerator???

Tim

Only if she has a sense of humor, lol.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

@ChickenCanoe , where is it that you teach your classes, and how many people usually attend?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

@ChickenCanoe , where is it that you teach your classes, and how many people usually attend?

-Kathy

Found the link that says where, but wold like to know how many attend. Someone asked me if I thought people would be interested in a free seminar on backyard chicken keeping in my area, so I told them I would look into it for them.

-Kathy

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Free is always well attended. Fee classes, less so. Well publicized helps as well.
I've done anywhere from a 15 minute session at Missouri Botanical Garden for a sustainable living festival that were free (after the garden entrance fee) to my regularly held 4 hour community college class for beginners which is $35. I also have an advanced class, a shorter winterization and a predator class there. In the early years they were often filled. Attendance has been down the last year or two. I did a well publicized and free panel discussion for the city of Richmond Heights and it was filled to capacity with about 200 attendees. We publicized it on both local radio and television with studio interviews. I did another hour class at Williams-Sonoma, a high-end American retail company that sells kitchenwares, housewares and home furnishings after they started selling chicken coops. It is in one of the wealthiest suburbs here and all the city council members attended who were considering a chicken ordinance.