What is wrong with this liver?

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Country Parson

Country Parson

Songster
9 Years
Oct 1, 2010
301
17
111
Bellefontaine, OH
Any idea what is wrong with this liver? Known facts are:
  • From a 7-week old Cornish Cross
  • Bird had a huge bulge in its belly.
  • One of its legs was twice the size of the other
  • Last few days bulge was getting bigger, and was unable to walk.
  • When culled, I didn't really notice anything unusual internally (though I am no expert), except the liver seemed unusually large and has specks/lumps all through it.

 
If I had to guess and that is all this is...I'd say high levels of protein in the feed and low activity levels may have caused rt. sided heart failure(was it the right leg that was larger?), ascites, edema and poor venous return from that leg and maybe contributed to hepatic inflammation(non-infectious hepatitis).
 
Hi Country Parson,

They might be tumours associated with marek's disease.

There's a great site for comparing these sorts of things at Cornell University: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/lesion/385
If you go to the front page you can search by 'lesion location' (being liver) and see a couple of other possibilities too (though I'd feel they're probably less likely than marek's).

Definitely not dinnertime reading, but I hope it helps.

Best of luck,
Erica
 
I disagree. I think it's worms. I have studied this constantly but there isn't much information on it. I have spent hours studying liver photos (and testicle photos) on line - for my own health as we LOVE poultry livers and we have seen some goofy other parts.
The nodules could be worm cysts. It happens. Your chicken could have had thin intestinal walls and the worms were allowed to spread. If you use diatomaceous earth fossil four in the feed and this shouldn't happen. Your feed sore can get it by the 50lb bag. This would also cause decreased egg laying.
It could also be fatty liver disease from being overfed bag feed. Was your chicken super fat? Did you have to pull out chunks of fat to get to innards?
I'm real bad at overfeeding.. but it sure gets them to coop up fast in the evening!
Hope it helps! I'm no expert!
But I am so happy to see someone else investigating down to ALL the parts to see if their birds are growing healthy!
 
the cornell verternary site is most helpful. also Tuffs veternary. our chicken had white bumps on the liver and the pictures matches avial cancer.
 
Country Parson said:
Here is another photo:
Click to expand...
I don't know what causes it but it is called "granulomas". Commercial CX have a lot of liver issues, probably fatty liver the most common. Homegrown CX will also have some liver issues but not as often as the Commercial CX that are pushed so hard.
 

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