Growth of organs of the digestive tube of Big-6 turkeys in the early stages of the postnatal period of ontogenesis

The Big-6 turkey breed is becoming widespread in Ukraine, as it is known for its high productivity and viability. To improve their housing and feeding technologies and methods of preventing and treating gastrointestinal diseases, knowledge of the structure and functions of the digestive system is required. In this regard, the purpose of this study consisted of investigating the growth of the digestive tract organs of turkeys in the age aspect. Modern complex morphological research methods were used: anatomical, organometric, and statistical, which established new data on the features of topography and macromorphometric characteristics of the oesophagus, stomach, and intestines of turkeys aged from 1 to 50 days. It has been proven that the oesophagus of turkeys is a thin tube, which is divided by the crop into a long cervical and a slightly shorter thoracic-abdominal part. The absolute weight of this organ increased from 1 to 50 days by 18 times, and its length – by 4.3 times. The crop is an extension of the oesophagus at the entrance to the thoracolumbar cavity. Its morphometric parameters during the entire study period of the bird increased by 4.1 times (length), 3.9 times (height), and 4.3 times (width). The stomach is a significant extension of the anterior intestine and is divided into glandular and muscular parts. The growth rates of the muscular part of the stomach are higher than that of the glandular one. The total absolute weight of the stomach of turkeys aged from 1 to 50 days increased by 13 times, and its individual parts – by 15.7 (glandular) and 12.7 (muscular) times. The absolute weight of the intestine for the entire study period of the bird increased by 8.7 times, and its total length – by 2.5 times. The results obtained on macroscopic indicators of the digestive tract organs of turkeys in the age aspect allow analysing changes in growth indicators, which is an important aspect in vaccination, prevention, and treatment of the digestive organs of poultry