A Surgical Method for the Separation of Urine and Feces in Young Chickens

Abstract

RESEARCH in avian physiology has been hampered by the lack of a satisfactory method for separation of urine and feces in birds. A number of surgical methods for the separation have been described for mature chickens, but none is readily adaptable to growing chicks. Milroy (1901), Paraschtschuk (1902), Völtz (1910) and Katayama (1924) have described techniques for production of an artificial anus. Rothchild (1947) reviewed the various techniques that have been used and described his own modifications for the operation. The essentials of this method were to exteriorize the rectum through an incision into the abdomen and suture the severed rectum to the edges of the incision. The cloacal stump was closed and urine was collected from the natural anal opening. Davis (1927), Coulson and Hughes (1930), and Pitts (1938) have described a method for collecting urine from a hen without surgery. This method is not adaptable to young birds . . .