Crop (Ingluvies) in Chickens: Digestion & Stasis
Detailed physiological overview of temporary feed storage, sour crop, and impaction.
Scientific Overview
The crop (ingluvies) is a thin-walled, muscular pouch located on the right side of the base of the chicken's neck. It is a biological adaptation allowing birds to gather food rapidly in the wild and digest it slowly in safety.
Ingluvies Function and Softening
The crop stores feed when the proventriculus and gizzard are full. Saliva and water consumed by the bird moisten and soften the hard grains. While no digestive enzymes are secreted by the crop itself, amylase from saliva and lactic acid bacteria initiate fermentation, beginning carbohydrate breakdown.
Pathology: Sour Crop & Impaction
Two common disorders affect the crop: Sour Crop (candidiasis, a yeast infection caused by Candida albicans, leading to a squishy, fluid-filled crop that smells sour); and Crop Impaction (stasis, where long grass, string, or dry feed blocks the exit, causing a hard, solid mass that starves the bird). Crop stasis must be cleared surgically or massaged with water.
Crop (Ingluvies) in Chickens: Digestion & Stasis — Frequently Asked Questions
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