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Understanding The Avian Reproductive System

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The avian reproductive system is heterosexual and requires both a male and a female, each to contribute half of the genetic constitution of the offspring (insert reference).The avian reproductive system is designed to accommodate the risks associated with being a bird. Other than birds of prey (such as hawks, eagles, and falcons), most birds are prey (insert reference). Being close to the bottom of the food chain, birds require unique strategies for reproducing that also allow them to retain the ability to fly. For most birds, these unique strategies include producing many offspring and tending to the needs of the offspring for only a short period of time (insert reference). The amount of time that birds devote to caring for their offspring …show more content…

The oviduct is a twisted tube that is 25 to 27 inches long when fully developed and is divided into five major sections. These sections are the infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, shell gland, and vagina.
Section of oviduct Approximate time egg spends in this section Functions of section of oviduct
1 Funnel (infundibulum) 15 minutes Receives yolk from ovary and is 3 to 4 inches long. If live sperm present, fertilisation occurs here (commercially produced table eggs are not fertilised)
2 Magnum 3 hours At 13 inches long, it is the largest section of the oviduct. Inner and outer shell membranes are added, as are some water and mineral salts
3 Isthmus 1 hour is 4 inches long. Albumen (white) is secreted and layered around the yolk
4 Shell gland (uterus) 21 hours is 4 to 5 inches long. Initially some water is added, making the outer white thinner. Then the shell material (mainly calcium carbonate) is added. Pigments may also be added to make the shell brown. Egg shell formation occurs mostly at night when hens are not eating. Therefore, calcium cannot simply be transferred from the intestines after being absorbed from food to the uterus to be laid down as egg shell. The hen uses a special type of bone called medullary bone to store calcium for several hours until it is time to form an egg shell (Etches, …show more content…

It is mainly observed in young layer hens reared in batteries. Affected birds lie down and stopped eating. Egg shells become thin. It is a well-known fact that cage layer fatigue is a syndrome in which demineralization of the bone (osteoporosis) occurs, typically in highly productive caged birds. Rickets and abnormal bones in adult birds are commonly present. In layers under thirty weeks of age, the cause is usually a temporary calcium deficiency when egg production reaches eighty percent or higher. The hen appears to have a neat solution (sounds like you are having a chat with someone- keep it technical- maybe- the hen has a natural ability to redirect calcium for production of shell..’) for the timely supply of calcium for egg shell formation. Problems arise, however, when too little calcium is obtained from the diet to support ongoing egg production. This can happen in various

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