Virtual Chicken: The Crop

In the chicken digestive system, the crop is an extension of the esophagus. It is a thin-walled pouch at the base of the thoracic section of the esophagus. The walls and lining of the crop are made of the same 4 layers as the esophagus: the mucosal, submucosal, muscle tunic, and the serosal layer. The main function of the crop is to hold food in storage until it can be released to the stomach or proventriculus. The crop fills only after the proventriculus is full. Food can remain in the crop for up to 12 hours until it is transferred via peristaltic action. No actual digestion takes place in the crop as there are no digestive chemicals secreted there to begin the process. However, softening and swelling of the feed will occur during the storage time. This can lead to a condition called “sour crop” where the contents of the crop ferment and a bacterial yeast infection can occur. For More Information About Chicken Digestion and Nutrition visit