Gross Morphological Study on the Small Intestine of Zoar (Gallus gallus domesticus), the Indigenous Fowl of Mizoram

Abstract

Zoar is an indigenous fowl that inhabits different parts of the northeastern state of Mizoram, India. Despite low yield, Zoar bird's lean meat boasts a distinctive taste and flavour compared to commercial broilers, resulting in a higher market price and value. Due to the paucity of literature on the anatomical organization of the small intestine and the complete digestive tract of the Zoar fowl, this experiment was conducted to document the gross anatomical morphology of its small intestine. The study was conducted from February to November, 2024 in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy & Histology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, India. In addition to the topographical arrangement of the small intestine with respect to adjacent organs, parameters like length and weight of each intestinal segment were recorded along with external diameter and wall thickness. The small intestine of Zoar fowl was composed of three parts: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, with the duodenum being the first section. The jejunum of Zoar fowl was arranged in the form of numerous loosely arranged loops, while the third section, the ileum ran closely between the paired caeca, terminating at the ileocaecal junction.