Cache for food
What do chickens have a crop for
Many birds have a crop that allows them to quickly
shovel a lot of food into themselves (just like a hamster’s cheek pouches). This skin bag is usually large enough to hold a full day’s ration when the stomach is full.
Where is the crop in chickens
This is a bulge in the esophagus at the neck, immediately in front of the breast entrance. The ingested food is temporarily stored there and moistened a little before it is passed on to the glandular stomach in batches. The mucous membrane contains glands that provide moisture. If the stomach is empty while eating, the food passes right past it. You can also feel it very well from the outside and possibly even see it.
This protrusion can lead to Lining or when accidentally eating Styrofoam or similar can also cause trouble, so that in the worst case it can lead to a blockage and the animal starves to death. There are also some parasites that settle there and are very harmful to the host. Unfortunately, there are also other diseases that can affect it. Concretions (stones) can also form, similar to gallstones in humans. Injuries caused by “normal” food are actually never the case. When “stuffing” – e.g. the Christmas goose – it can happen that the crop is seriously injured and in the worst case the animal dies.