Chicken necropsy (graphic images) - liver failure / internal bleeding - what is the cause?

[NatJ]

Stop guessing, your answer is YES

As in, yes too much fat, yes that is the liver, yes it is a problem?

 

[Altairsky]

Could the cause of death be liver rupture? Brittle liver + presence of blood cloth in the abdominal cavity as seen in the pictures?
I'd change the feed, that's for sure. Would chose one with more protein (20%) and less carbs.
It's carbs that make the liver fat, remember this. Healthy fats don't make the liver fat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

yes, yes, yes. i think so. [as I type while shoving toast (fat and flour), and sausage (pork, fat, spices) gravy (milk, fat, four) into my mouth]

But it tastes so good. I'm sure that bird though the same of its feed.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Look at picture three, right mid. Several other views, similar. Looks to me like evidence of past ruptures/bleeds. Should also find evidence of kidney damage once you get to the wall, and the heart, I would expect, will be almost completely enrobed in yellow, with perhaps the bottom 1/4 exposed (educated guess, I've never let one of my birds get this fat, don't have first hand experience)

 

[Altairsky]

I have seen similar levels of fat in laying hens that I butchered, that did not show any obvious signs of ill health.

I'd say that all the laying hens my grandma butchered at end cycle, had that, if not more, amount of abdominal fat, and their liver was perfectly normal.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and now that I read the full thread and see this wasn't a bird being butchered for freezer camp, but rather one that "volunteered" for internal photography, I'm going to revise my diagnosis to "YES, FLHS" as the best working theory here.


Sorry, the @ comment caught me pre-coffee. Horrid state of affairs. 0/10 do not recommend

 

[coach723]

Yes, what was circled could have been liver, which I did consider. But everything is so displaced, hard to say for sure. If it is, then it's definitely abnormal, both in color and texture, has fallen apart (I assume from the handling) and very diseased. Since things were so disrupted I was thinking it was crop or proventriculus contents that had come down. It's so much easier when you see things in situ first, and then move things around. I've had several birds with fatty liver disease, a couple of them hemorrhaged. I think it's often a combination of genetics and diet. I had a whole batch of black sex links (purchased) that all got really fat, the rest of my flock was not. So I think with the ones that have a genetic predispostition, then they are much more sensitive to contents of diet. Some did not hemorrhage but the liver was very pale and friable, in one case looked cooked, for lack of a better description. In my experience, some fat is ok, but when it's all around the organs like here, not ok. I've both processed birds for food and necropsied to see why a bird died, so I've seen it both ways. If you see the fat like that, and a liver that is unhealthy, pale, friable, it's 99.9% it's FLHS, in my (very) humble opinion.

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

Visceral fat in chickens is the fat that accumulates around internal organs such as the liver, intestines, and gizzard. It’s often deep yellow to orange in well-fed birds, since chickens store carotenoids (plant pigments) from their diet. A small amount is normal — it cushions and protects organs — but excessive visceral fat can interfere with organ function, especially the liver, leading to conditions like fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome.

Adipose (subcutaneous) fat, on the other hand, is stored under the skin and in the muscle layers, most visible along the breast, thighs, and abdomen. It’s usually pale yellow or cream-colored and reflects overall caloric intake rather than internal stress. While some subcutaneous fat is healthy for insulation and energy storage, overfeeding or high-processed-carb diets can cause both visceral and adipose fat to build up, reducing egg production, mobility, and heat tolerance.

What color were the egg yolks?

In short: color reflects diet, and location reflects health. Bright yellow fat isn’t necessarily bad — it shows carotenoid-rich feed — but too much internal (visceral) fat is a sign your chicken’s energy intake exceeds its activity level or protein balance.

Your chicken however- this is excessive and your other chickens are at risk (if they are all eating the same diet) it is not balanced. The feed you have is not necessarily bad, but I would like ot see the fat content around 2.5 percent- as when attempting to calculate the nutritional balance- something seems off (numbers dont add up it seems). So I would definitely take action by altering the diet (and making sure it is fresh) and giving more opportunities for exercise.

I so appreciate all your insights as a newbie chicken mama.

Egg yolk colour

Her egg yolks looked the same as others - I never noticed anything different. But, I noticed her shells were always not as tough. She was on the bottom of the pecking order, and when I did feed their crushed shells back, I felt like she got a minimal share because she’d let others eat first.

Yes I’m really concerned about the fat seen in the images. I tried to google other necropsy images but haven’t seen many with that much yellow fat. She was the biggest chicken in the flock, however she was my only French Marans and I heard they are big chickens, compared to my other chickens (easter eggers). So I assumed it was normal.


Prevention for other chickens going forward

So I don’t think I will change the feed (Red Hen 17) as it’s the one everyone recommends here in Australia.

• Question: Should I stop giving all day access to feed and start measuring out daily quantities so they don’t overeat?

However two things I am changing (and I’d love any input on this) is:

More exercise: I am letting go of my fear of predators a bit and allowing them to free range in the garden.

• Question: they previously had an enclosed run of approx 11sqm for 6-8 birds, with perches to fly on and a deep litter run for scratching. Was that not enough space for good exercise?
• Question: I let them free range with supervision yesterday and all they did was scratch the ground like they do while in the run (but perhaps in the run sometimes they sat and rested). I guess they get more exercise because when they need to eat, drink or lay, they have to walk further distances to get back into the run to do so? But other than that they just do the same activities it seems.

Less treats: I’m no dietitian so..

• Question: can too many greens cause obesity? As when I give them greens, sometimes I give them quite a bit. I had read that chickens were good at monitoring their caloric intake so I thought they would stop when they are full)
• Question: I noticed when I free ranged them they were eating lots and lots of bugs - can this lead to obesity?
• Question: can too many crushed eggshells in one day be bad? I feed their eggshells crushed back to them, but I don’t do it everyday, instead I do it maybe every fortnight when I get a good amount and I put it in a bowl and usually they eat most of it up in two days.
• They honestly don’t get many other treats so I’m thinking perhaps it’s the enclosed run not providing enough exercise space?

Thank you greatly

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

I agree that changing feed would be a good idea, see if it makes a difference. I too was wondering about the fat content. I also found this as an AI generated answer to if French Marans are prone to adipose fat:
Yes,
"French Marans are a chicken breed that is prone to becoming overweight and accumulating excess abdominal fat, especially if overfed or kept in confined spaces. They are considered "lazy birds" that will easily get fat if allowed to, making management of their diet and exercise crucial for their health"

Hello - I have attached the details of the feed they are getting - Red Hen 17. Here in Australia it's one of the top recommended brands so I'm reluctant to change it. It doesn't seem that fatty at 3%? - but I am happy to hear your thoughts.

Also, interesting to know about that with French Marans - she was my only French Marans in a mixed flock of mainly easter eggers. I don't always trust Ai but I would say she definitely acted like a lazy bird vs the other birds..... she was very gentle and calm, liked cuddles. She was like a gentle giant.

I just thought it was her nature, so I adored her for it. Vs my other chickens who were more flighty, scratching around a lot, and picking fights with each other.


Red Hen 17 is a premium quality layer and breeder food formulated to be fed to all classes of laying poultry.
This high specification diet is nutritionally balanced for essential nutrients such as protein, energy, vitamins and minerals necessary for high rates of lay, large egg size, fertility and hatchability.
Linoleic acid is included in the diet at a minimum of 1.2% for enhanced egg size.
Red Hen 17 is a medication free diet.

No Grind Crumbles​

Red Hen 17 is manufactured in the No Grind Crumble form to reduce selective feeding and yet still offers hens large grain pieces which they prefer. Also, by not fine grinding the ingredients the hens gizzard has to work harder, which in turn creates more enzyme secretion and thereby improved digestion.

Analysis (as fed)​

Protein (min)	17.0%
Fat (min)	3.0%
Fibre (max)	8.0%
Calcium (min)	4.3%
Linoleic Acid (min)	1.2%
Salt (max added)	0.35%

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

@U_Stormcrow @NatJ - Yes I was wondering what that part that you @NatJ circled was. I have reattached a photo of her dissected, which is as 'in situ' as I could get, before I started pulling organs out and having a look around. Of course, I don't know if the vet put the parts back in the same position they were originally in but..

In the attached photo, I have circled in white what I believe is the gizzard? After I flipped that over to the right side, I believe that's where I found that 'friable part' that NatJ circled. In real life, I'd describe it like mince meat covered in creamy sauce.

Also, I have attached a photo of my hen on the morning she died. She indeed looked completely healthy. I only had one French marans and when I google images, they seem to look like large/fat looking birds. I agree she must have died from fatty liver, but curious does she look fatter than she should be? (In case I got another french marans one day, I'd like to be able to judge their weight before anything bad happens).