Abstract
Brazilian poultry farming stands out worldwide due to its high level of technological investment in all sectors of the production chain. Brazil is the largest exporter and second largest producer of broiler chickens, only behind the United States, ranked first. Chicken meat is one of the main sources of protein in the human diet and its importance is attributable to the continuous improvement of the zootechnical indices of this species. However, as genetic improvement makes it possible to select for higher production efficiency, it also has undesirable effects on physiological, immunological, welfare characteristics. Different metabolic and skeletal disorders have been described and associated with genetic, management and nutritional causes, such as ascitic syndrome, the etiology of which remains unknown, osteochondrosis of the femoral head, tibial dyschondroplasia and pectoral muscle disorders such as woody breast. In recent years, another metabolic disease has come to the attention: pendulous crop, characterized by temporary or permanent crop distension with the presence of liquid or semi-liquid content. This build-up results in inadequate functioning of the organ, and because it is irreversible, affected animals are discarded, causing serious economic damage. Studies on this disease are scarce in Brazil and around the world, which demonstrates the need for more research to elucidate the factors related to its etiopathogenesis. The aim of this study was to carry out a literature review on the disease, considering aspects related to the history and importance of poultry production, digestive physiology as well findings in birds affected by the disease.
Published Version
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