Gross and microscopic anatomical study of the proventriculus and ventriculus in Naked-neck chicken, Northwest Ethiopia.

Indigenous Naked-neck chickens in hot agroecological zones may develop digestive tract adaptations that improve mechanical and enzymatic digestion. However, in Ethiopia, there is no documentation of the gross morphological and histological features of the proventriculus and ventriculus in Naked-neck chickens. This study aimed to investigate these features. To carry out this study, an exploratory research design using a purposive sampling was employed to select eight clinically healthy chickens in the Quara district from January to November 2024. For histological studies, tissue samples were collected, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, processed using the paraffin technique, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The stained tissues were examined under a light microscope, and histometric analysis was performed using ImageJ software. The proventriculus was characterized by a markedly developed tunica submucosa (2077.32 ± 27.56 µm), whereas the ventriculus had a thicker tunica muscularis (2104.82 ± 63.36 µm), suggesting enhanced mechanical grinding capacity. Proventricular gland lobules showed polymorphic architecture, including rounded conical, hexagonal, and irregular forms. This pronounced muscular development of the ventriculus may be consistent with mechanical digestive requirements, but further comparative and functional studies are needed.