Butchering 4 high production hens turned necropsy

[Weetamoo93]

Graphic photos ahead. Please move topic if appropriate; I wasn't sure where best to put this.




My friend gave me 4 hens she bought that wouldn't lay to butcher and, y'all, these birds are BAD. Not from any lack of trying by my friend.

I immediately noticed the distended abdomen and I could feel something hard inside one. One hen straight up prolapsed post mortem because she wasn't forcing herself to keep it in any more.

I have two questions.
1) what am I looking at? This is the morbid curiosity side.
2) I was processing these for my dogs at the very least, but should I just bin them and dump them someways off for coyotes whatnot to find? I'm dumping all organs and saving carcasses for dogs. Usually they get innards, too, but I'm not giving them these. I'm burying it all deep in the earth. My dogs may eat very questionable things, not by my choice, but they ain't getting this.
3) does my friend need to worry about her other poultry on site? I'm not sure if she quarantined these or not, but I can check. The spotty livers were primarily my concern with that.

I'm getting the remaining 3 from her ASAP because they need to be put of their misery if they are anything like these 4.

 

[Weetamoo93]

(okay, I tried to come back and delete this, but I can't? I'll just have to edit as I continue)

 

[Weetamoo93]

We'll call this chicken #1. Liver was yellow. Giant soft mass inside reproductive tract with hard masses. I did not open it because I did not have gloves at that time. I 100% should've gone and grabbed some.

All her organs, and all subsequent organs, went into a bin. I'm going to dig a very deep (3 to 4 feet) hole and bury it all. Dump ashes on it for good measure.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Chicken #2 had what I presume is "water belly" as she ruptured and gushed a milky fluid with hard masses, but crumbly masses.

Her liver is yellow and has spots.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Chicken #3 a bit more normal. A lot of the yellow is ruptured yolks. Her liver was still yellow and spotted. At least her reproductive tract looked okay.

Chicken#4 actually looks fine on the inside, but her bones were breaking as I processed her. I've never even broken bones processing silkies.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

We'll call this chicken #1. Liver was yellow. Giant soft mass inside reproductive tract with hard masses. I did not open it because I did not have gloves at that time. I 100% should've gone and grabbed some.

All her organs, and all subsequent organs, went into a bin. I'm going to dig a very deep (3 to 4 feet) hole and bury it all. Dump ashes on it for good measure.

I'm guessing ovarian cancer? It and other reproductive diseases (waterbelly) are very common in high production breeds

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

Chicken #3 a bit more normal. A lot of the yellow is ruptured yolks. Her liver was still yellow and spotted. At least her reproductive tract looked okay.

Chicken#4 actually looks fine on the inside, but her bones were breaking as I processed her. I've never even broken bones processing silkies.

Do you know how they were fed? Let me know if you figure out what was up with #4. This link may or may not be helpful https://www.thepoultrysite.com/arti...oor-shell-quality-prevention-rather-than-cure