Chickens don't have sphincters....??

[ChooksChick]

Okay, I've heard the phrase bandied about with abandon, and yet they clearly have a set of muscles back there, as it's a pulsing pucker.

I had a malformed chick that had to be culled and I discussed the vent situation of her with my vet- because the bird had a misalignment and was excreting from a hole beneath the vent. The vent musculature was the vet's concern- that even if the bird did have proper waste leaving, the lack of muscles in the hole it was using would lead to other issues. Upset about the chick, I neglected to ask about this popular idea regarding no sphincter.

Clearly, chickens can control it some, because a broody will hold it until she's off the nest- 24 hours at a time. Clearly, they plop out a certain amount all at once, with some force, rather than it trickling/oozing out continuously...as it did with my chick. Clearly, the round muscle structure fits the description of a sphincter.

So, what gives? Where did the idea they haven't musculature in the vent originate?

 

[fargosmom]

Does this have anything to do with the question: do chickens have lips?

 

[jtl977]

I was wondering the same thing. Yesterday we cleaned out the girls pen and while we cleaned we put them into a small dog carrier. All three of them were in there for a half an hour and no poop. Can they really control it?

 

[flgardengirl]

I do think they must be able to control it somewhat because I always hold some of my pullets on my lap for like a half and hour sometimes. They have never pooped on me. Soon as I put them down then they poop. Also, what about other birds like parrots? They must have some muscle tone there because people can train them not to potty by using a hand signal of when to go.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

My 3 sleep in a smallish crate in the garage in the evenings.
I've noticed the BA and RIR do not poop in there. When they are put in a much larger area in the a.m.
they pass large/smelly poops. I imagine they are similar to broody poop, but probably don't hold a candle to the real thing.