Boiled yolk like mass inside dead hen

[AC56]

Hi all,
I have noticed one of hens being unwell. Assumed egg bound. Made bath for her etc. But her belly was massive like a ball, she was panting and walking like duck. We gave another two days, but decided to put out of misery. Only two options in Internet are water belly or egg bound. None of those two fit the case exactly.
What we found inside was aweful, hen herself was a skeleton, like a cancer patient. Which wasn't noticeable from outside at all. Feathers were healthy. But inside was a solid mass looked like boiled yolk. It wasn't liquid, but it wasn't couple of days. The mass was bigger than a chicken and carcass was bursting with it. I don't know how we didn't notice it sooner. She was eating and walking about with everyone. If she would be egg bound she would die within 48 hours, no? And water belly would have liquid. Any idea what is it? Yolk peritonitis?

 

[Jenbirdee]

welcome to backyard chickens. I am so sorry for your loss. I dont know what that could be but I know some very knowlegable people on here who can help you figure it out. Perhaps repost your question in the "emergencies and diesases" section of this site. Or perhaps a mod will come along and move it for you to https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

If you can post pictures of the mass, that will help. If it was outside of her reproductive tract it was likely the result of internal laying which caused egg yolk peritonitis.

 

[Az OEGB]

Welcome to BYC

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Welcome to BYC; im sorry your hen died. Did the mass look like the image from this article?
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

If not, and you didn't take a picture, a better description of what you saw can help us identify her cause of death. @DobieLover already mentioned internal laying as a possibility for what you saw, and what caused her death.

 

[AC56]

Welcome to BYC; im sorry your hen died. Did the mass look like the image from this article?
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

If not, and you didn't take a picture, a better description of what you saw can help us identify her cause of death. @DobieLover already mentioned internal laying as a possibility for what you saw, and what caused her death.

Hello, yes, that what it look like. Never heard about salpingitis, but looks exactly that. Symptoms fit as well.
I only thought to take pictures when it was too late. Husband got rid of all "evidence"

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hello, yes, that what it look like. Never heard about salpingitis, but looks exactly that. Symptoms fit as well.
I only thought to take pictures when it was too late. Husband got rid of all "evidence"

I understand exactly what you mean, as far as not understanding how you didn't notice the issue before. I have discovered salpingtitis infections inside hens when I necropsied them after they died, but only one instance was equally horrifyingly massive as you describe. And yet, like you I had no clue she was ailing until the last several days of her life. It is jaw-dropping that they manage to keep up their normal hen behaviors while they are slowly wasting away and hiding such massive infections, but they do.