Some comparative anatomical studies on the stomach, intestine and liver in ducks, chicken and pigeon

Abstract

Poultry plays an important role in meat and egg production in

Egypt. Poultry production, especially chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese is a r big business throughout the world, which became the standard form of mass-production of protein (Jordan and Pattison, 1996).

The digestive system plays an important role in the digestion of food, so it is important to study the anatomy and histology of the digestive system of the chickens, ducks and pigeons .The knowledge of the anatomy of the digestive system and its component is also needed as a grounding for an informed approach to clinical problems.

The study of the anatomy of the different birds in the last years attracts the attention of many investigators. An excessive work had been done to explain the description of the different organs of chicken, ducks, goose and pigeon (McLelland, 1975 and Nickel, Schummer and Seiferle, 1977).

So the aim of the present study is to elucidate more light on the anatomy of the stomach, intestines and the liver of the ducks, chicken and pigeon which differ in their food supply and their mode of life swimming (ducks), running (chicken) and flying (pigeon). This will fill a gap in the comparative anatomy and will give a guide for clinical approach for these species.