Crop - Anatomy and Physiology

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Introduction

The crop is a food storage device present in avian species. It is usually used when the muscular stomach (gizzard) is full.

It is useful tool for avian veterinarians and owners of assessing when the bird last ate and it is especially important to ensure young chicks always have full crops. It is also a common site for impactions and surgical entry to remove foreign bodies.

Functional Anatomy

• Muscular chamber

Species Differences

• No crop in

• Crop milk produced by pigeons for their squabs