PRACTICAL NOTE ON DOMESTIC FOWL (GALLUS GALLUS DOMESTICUS).

Biological Classification

Phylum Chordata

Reasons:

• Presence of the Dorsal nerve chord
• Presence of Pharyngeal cleft
• Presence of Notochord

Class Aves

Reasons:

• Presence of feathers,
• Presence of wings
• Presence of horny scales on legs
• Presence of a horny beak but no teeth

Habitat:

• Hen coop

Male:

• Larger comb and wattle
• Larger spur on the back of the Shunk
• Pointed feathers around the neck, back and tail

Mode of reproduction

• Sexual reproduction with internal fertilisation
• Oviparity
• Parental care

Mode of nutrition:

• heterotrophic/holozoic

Mode /method of feeding:

• Omnivorous

Possible feed for domestic fowl

• Seeds
• Maize grain
• Rice grain
• Insects
• Worms
• Grass
• Herbs
• Vegetation
• vegetables

Adaptations of fowl to the mode of feeding

• Strong and blunt Claws for scratching the ground
• Strong short Beak for picking seeds and cracking seeds.
• Gizzard for grinding seeds and grains
• Wings which help to jump to catch insects at heights

Respiratory structure:

• Lungs

Locomotory structures:

• legs
• wings

External features of birds

• A pair of wings
• Presence of a beak
• A pair of eyes
• Streamlined body
• Presence of feathers
• A pair of horny, scaled hind limbs
• Presence of clawed digits
• Presence of tail feathers

Adaptive features in domestic fowl

• Wings for flying
• Beak for picking food
• Claws for scratching the ground
• Feathers to provide warmth and prevent wetting
• Opposable digits/toes for gripping a perch
• Toes spread out for stability on the ground
• Backwardly arranged and overlapping feathers provide resistance to air/streamlined
• Feathers for protection
• Oil gland for preening feathers

Type of feathers on the wing

• Primaries: Provide forward movement
• Secondaries: Provide lift
• Wing coverts: Reduce air passing through the base of the feathers

Functions of wings

• Flight
• Jumping to a height
• Protecting chicks
• Warming the body
• Courtship: bright colours attract females.

Functions of the beak

• Feeding/ picking food
• Pruning feathers with oil
• Fighting/defence/cannibalism
• Pecking of small pieces of food from large chunks
• Picking an Ectoparasite from the skin

Features which adapt the fowl to locomotion

• A pair of wings for flying and jumping to a height
• A pair of hind limbs for walking and running
• Backwardly overlapping feathers and a streamlined shape to reduce air resistance
• Tail feathers for steering

Features which can be inherited in fowl

• Comb shape
• Comb size
• Feather colour
• Body size
• Eye colour
• Wattle colour

Features of Evolutionary Significance in Fowl

• Lungs for breathing on land
• Wings for flying in the air
• Feathers for temperature regulation on land
• Legs for movement on land
• Scales on legs
• Clawed digits
• Pentadactyl limbs

Economic importance of fowl:

• Source of protein/food/meat/eggs/food for human consumption.
• Feathers are used for decoration
• Source of income
• Source of employment
• Entertainment (cock fight)
• Feathers are used for pillows
• Feathers for religious/medicinal purposes
• Droppings as fertilisers
• Biological control of insect pests

Functions of the feet in fowl

• Scratching the soil for food
• Walking
• Fighting
• Holding perch
• Scratching the body

Adaptations of feet

• Strong and blunt Claws for scratching the ground
• Opposable digits/toes for gripping a perch
• Toes spread out for stability on the ground

Similarities between the fowl and the lizard

• Presence of clawed digits
• Presence of scales
• Presence of cloacal opening
• Presence of tail
• They both lay cleidoic eggs

Differences between domestic fowl and lizards

Differences between domestic fowl and a toad.

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