Do chickens salivate?

[Marigold]

When my girls have been out for their daily playtime, at this time of year I call them in by walking down the garden calling 'Chook! Chook! Chook!' (neighbours know I'm batty) and carrying a bowl of nice warm mash with all sorts of goodies in it. They come racing along at my heels, (even Marigold has learned to do this AT LAST) and it's hard not to fall over them on the way into the run in their eagerness to stuff themselves with a good feed. Today I thought 'if they were dogs, they'd be drooling' which led me to wonder if chickens do salivate in response to a food stimulus, in order to help the food go down, especially the dry stuff?

 

[chrismahon]

We seem to recall Botty used to dribble when he was asleep, but he doen't any more. He gets a treat in the morning of tomatoes and grapes and does a fair bit of beak chattering while he is waiting (recognises the plate when it is taken out of the cupboard), but doesn't noticably salivate. Their mouths are always moist though so that moisture is coming from somewhere?

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

yes, but not in the mouth. usually in their crop. that's how they break down their food. sometimes they do hold water in their mouths though after drinking

 

[pennyblack chooks]

That's interesting about the crops. They do 'smack their lips appreciatively' I have found. When syringing cephacare crushed in water into Belle's beak bit by bit recently for a (thankfully) mild bumblefoot it was clear she did not like the taste of it. When I did the small dose of metacam immediately afterwards she was noticeably happier and instead of just moving her beak to swallow as with the cephacare she smacked her lips more keenly. When I asked the vet she said it was the honey in it!!