ACTION OF THE GIZZARD 207 



The point to remember, however, is this, forced feeding must 

 not be carried to the point where it affects and impairs stamina 

 and health. In fattening poultry for market there is little need 

 for caution in this respect, because the birds are killed before any 

 ill effects are manifested. But in feeding laying stock, especially 

 breeders, prolonged over-feeding is almost certain to result in 

 weak offspring and a general deterioration in the vigor and pro- 

 ductiveness of the flocks. 



On first thought, ground feed or meals would seem to be more 

 digestible than whole grains, because, as stated above, the meals 

 are more quickly digested than the grains. It does not follow, 

 however, that the meals are more thoroughly digested, as we 

 shall see. 



Gizzard. — Fowls are endowed with a powerful muscular organ 

 — the gizzard, for the express purpose of grinding solid foods. 

 The action of the gizzard is involuntary. If it is equipped with 

 sufficient "molars" in the form of hard, sharp, angular grit, its 

 grinding process is consistently thorough. 



Gastric Juice. — ^The crushing and grinding process is not the 

 only function of the gizzard. The food is partially digested in 

 this organ, and to accomplish this digestion the food must re- 

 main in this part of the digestive tract for a certain length of 

 time. It has been found that the gizzard secretes a gastric 

 juice, which is one of the most powerful agents of digestion, 

 especially in respect to digesting protein and in dissolving the 

 mineral elements. Naturally, the harder the food the longer 

 it is required for the gizzard to grind it, and the longer the food 

 remains in the gizzard the greater is the action of the gastric 

 secretion. 



Sparing the Gizzard. — ^As might be supposed, meals pass 

 through the gizzard much quicker than whole grains, and this 

 spares the gizzard considerable work. In forced feeding it is 

 found cheaper to do this work with power millstones. But the 

 point to remember is this: If the gizzard is spared too much, it 

 soon loses its efficiency, and thereafter the food will not be 

 thoroughly digested, which is both a tax on the fowls' health and 



