What did you think about when someone asks you
to describe a bone? We usually think of human or other mammal
bones. But chicken bones are very different than mammal
bones.
Chicken bones are much lighter than the
mammal bones. This is probably because a chicken is a bird, and birds
have to fly. Lighter bones allow them to be lighter when flying.
The chicken bones are lighter because some bones in their body have air
sacs. Some other bones, like those in the skull have spaces in
them
Another difference between chicken and
mammal bones is that chicken bones have more minerals in them. Some
of the minerals that chicken bones are rich with are calcium and
phosphate. Mammal bones contain those minerals as well, but not
as much as in chicken.
THE SKELETON
SKULL
Skull of the chicken is made up many small
bones. The face of the chicken is made up of the nasal and
the premaxillary bone. The largest bones in the chicken face are
called frontal, parietal and temporal bone. They make up the
cranium which is the back of the chicken head. There is also a
mandible which is another word for the jaw bone.
BREAST
Skeletons of chickens are made up of many
bones. One of the largest bones is the breast bone or sternum. It
is so large that it covers more than half of the body cavity.
Sternum has a carina, which is a large kneel. Carina is used
to attach the wings so that bird can fly. Chickens are not good
flyers and usually can fly only a very short distance. This is why
their carina is not as large as in the flying
birds.
The breast bone attaches to the ribs.
Chickens have five or six pairs of ribs and these bones protect
the organs inside.
BACKBONE
Chicken are vertebrates. Vertebrates are
animals that have a backbone. A chicken backbone starts with the
atlas. This is the small bone on top of the spine. This bone is
important because it allows chicken to move their head.
Chicken usually have about 20 vertebrae, but this depends on
the breed. The spine ends with a cervical bone
THE WISHBONE
Everyone has heard of a wish bone, The
slingshot looking bone is sometimes pulled apart and a person who
gets a larger part makes a wish. The wishbone is actually a
clavical or collar bone. It connects the shoulders of a chicken. It
also makes an opening so that digestive and respiratory tract can
pass into the chicken body.
CHICKEN FEET
Chicken feet are very complicated. The foot has
16 small bones. The bones that make up
toes are called phalanx. The last phalanx of the toe is claw like.
There are four toes and the third is the longest.
Wattles are located under the chin. They
are meaty, red growths. Chickens have two wattles. Both male and female chicken
have wattles. Wattles do not just hang there, they actually have an
important function. One of the things that wattles do is cool the
chicken down. This happens when the blood circulates from the comb
to the wattles. The circulating blood lowers the temperature of the
chicken during the hot weather.
So now that you know some chicken facts, your day is complete! :0)
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