Digestive System

The digestive system allows for the absorption of nutrients for energy, repair and growth.

This system consists of 13 different parts that are broken down below

Mouth

The mouth of the chicken does not contain any lips or teeth. Instead there are tiny barbs that cover the mouth that help break down food.

Beak

The beak is used to crush, tear and hold food during prehension and mastication.

Tongue

The tongue is small and usually triangular shaped. There are few tastebuds and it also contains touch receptors. There are very few muscles in the tongue of the chicken and turkey.

Esophagus

The esophagus is a tube that runs from the base of the mouth to the crop. This is the passageway of food after mastication. It contains two different muscles, one that is circulatory and one that runs lateral. They both are used to push food down the esophagus in a ripple effect.

Crop

The crop is used for temporary storage of food. It is at the base of the esophagus and above the proventriculus.

Proventriculus

The proventriculus is at the entrance of the gizzard. This is the glandular stomach. It secretes HCL, peptic enzymes and mucus for digestion.

Gizzard

The gizzard has thick muscular walls that have sandpaper-like inner surface. the contractions of the muscles and presence of grit help grind, mash and mix food. This is especially important for harder materials like small stones.

Small intestines

The small intestine are used to absorb nutrients. There are three different parts to the small intestines. From front to back they are the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The mesentery fixes the small intestines to the dorsal abdominal wall and supports the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries and veins in the tissue.

Duodenum- This portion is the complete first phase of digestion. The food mixes with enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder

Jejunum- This portion of the small intestines is able to absorb sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids because of the villi that line the wall.

Ileum- This part absorbs nutrients, bile acids, fluid, water, and vitamin B-12, from the food to be used by the body. Villi is used to absorb nutrients.

Pancreas

In the duodenum loop has the pancreas. It is normally hidden by tissue. The bile duct enters the duodenum near the pancreas. The pancreas secretes amylase, lipase and trypsin into the duodenum to help with digestion.

Liver

There are 4 lobes to the liver. The coronary ligament attached to the liver in the pericardium and the falciform ligament fixes the ventral surface of the liver to the ventral body wall. The liver produces and secretes bile to aid in digestion.

Gallbladder

The gallbladder stores bile that was produced in the liver. It is connected to the liver. It intermittently discharges bile into the duodenum to help in digestion and absorption of lipids.

Ceca

The ceca branch off the large intestine. They contain bacterial population important in the digestion of plant cellulose. Water reabsorption also takes place here.

Large Intestine

The large intestine is one of the last parts of the digestive tract. It is located right before the cloaca. This is where the last of the water reabsorption occurs.

Cloaca

This is the last part of the digestive tract and is used to expel nonabsorbable nutrients. This is where the fecal material from the intestines is collected and ejected from the body through the vent.

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