The gizzard: function, influence of diet structure and effects on nutrient availability

The gizzard has a number of important functions, such as aiding digestion by particle size reduction, chemical degradation of nutrients and regulation of feed flow, and responds rapidly to changes in the coarseness of the diet.   This review summarises findings on the function of the gizzard, the interaction between diet and gizzard function, and the nutritional consequences of these interactions. Due to the reported improvements in nutrient availability when structural components which stimula