full gullet or crop?

[dveteto]

Ok, I'll admit it, i'm stupid when it comes to pigeons. Where exactly is the crop and how big does it get when full. Can someone please send me a picture of a full or empty crop of a 10 days old PLEASE. I don't know if i'm over or under feeding my little one. Help ASAP!! Is the gullet or crop just at the neck area or is it the whole front and lower abdoman?? Picture please!

[TAWhatley]

Here are a couple of pics ..

http://www.rims.net/arlene.htm


In the first pic the crop is empty .. in the second pic the crop is full .. notice the little "balloon" under the beak.

http://www.rims.net/babydove.htm


The crop is full in these pics also.

The crop is the sac like area at the base of the neck and above the belly. It expands when food goes in and should feel kind of like a marshmallow when full.

Hope this is of some help.

Terry Whatley

[dveteto]

Thank you so much Terry. Those pictures really help. The lower part of Pini's crop seems to be full, bu sometimes I wonder if it's enough. The fullness doesn't extend up in the neck area right? Your picture's seem to show the crop bulging forward more, but Pini seems to fill more at the bottom and never really out to the front. Should can you know if it's too full???