Chicken Foot Dissection

Photo credits; Toni Cuenca from Unsplash

I had a ton of great experiences at VetMed camp, but one of the highlights was definitely the chicken foot dissection. It was eye-opening to dive into the details of how a chicken’s foot works, from the sharp claws to the scaly skin. I never thought I’d get to see all those parts up close and learn about their roles in a real hands-on way. It was definitely a memorable part of the camp!

Firstly, we learned about the anatomy of a chicken’s foot so it would be easier to understand what we’d be doing during the dissection. I love the fact that instructors taught us about anatomy using examples and analogies because it made everything so much easier to understand. Thanks to these clear explanations, I know that a chicken's foot is like a little tool with different parts that help it move and do things. It has four toes–kind of like our fingers–with three pointing forward and one pointing backward. Each toe has a sharp claw at the end, like tiny fingernails, which the chicken uses to grab and dig in the dirt. The skin on the foot is covered in scales, like armor, to protect it. The main part of the foot, called the metatarsus or shank, is like the handle of a tool, connecting the toes to the leg. The hock joint is like the chicken's ankle, where the foot bends and connects to the leg. Roosters actually have a special bony part called a spur on the back of their shank, like a little horn, which they use to protect themselves and show they are in charge! All these parts work together to help the chicken walk, scratch the ground, and protect itself.

Having learned all this, we were ready for our dissection. First we grabbed all the tools we needed before we started to make things a little easier. To begin, we used a clamp to peel the skin off of the shank, which then revealed the tendons. I was able to play around a little bit and started pulling each tendon to see what each one did: some control the heel, others the individual toes etc. To better understand movement, I got to pick up the chicken foot and move it with my hands as if it was mimicking the action of walking to see which parts moved.

Fun fact: I learned that after we were done with our dissection, anything we needed to throw out would go into the biohazard bin instead of a normal trash can. We use a biohazard box instead of a regular trash can to prevent the spread of pathogens and to follow safety regulations. This guarantees the safe handling of potentially infectious materials, protects the environment, and prevents accidental exposure. Biohazard waste is treated to neutralize hazards before disposal, keeping everything safe. I was actually really surprised at how many steps there were to the cleaning procedure since it was around 12 really long steps!

Additionally, I got to see all the parts of the necropsy table and learned how to clean them using the right tools. I saw my instructors use this really cool tool that looked like a really long hose attached to the ceiling. I then found out it was called a ceiling-mounted sprayer. Almost done with the process, I got to use a shoe disinfectant mat that cleans our shoes on the way out, even though they didn’t look dirty. Using a shoe disinfectant mat after a lab helps prevent cross-contamination by removing any harmful pathogens or residues from your shoes, keeping the lab and other areas clean. It helps keep different surfaces clean, sticking to safety rules and making sure nothing dangerous spreads. 

After the dissection, I could not wait to tell my friends that I touched and dissected a chicken foot. I was surprised at the fact of how much I learned in just one day–who knew learning could be this much fun! And the best part? This super cool experience was only one of the many I had at VetMed camp!