Fatty tumors in laying hen

[JiminyChristmas]

I butchered a 1.5 year old Australorp today and found these inside, they seemed to be in the intestinal area. The undeveloped eggs in the pic are near fully developed for size reference. Her "belly" looked bloated after plucking but there was nothing else irregular inside.

Any ideas what they could be?? I cut into one and it seemed to be the same consistency throughout, like a thick fat.

I also was surprised to see the eggs as she hasn't laid in months! Though there was not a shelled egg in there.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That looks like "lash egg" or Salpingitis which is an inflammation of the oviduct.

But, if I understand you correctly, you found the yolks in the abdomen as well? If that's the case, then that "fatty" thing may be a yolk that has been surround by a caseous layer since the body could not absorb it.

You won't find a shelled egg inside the hen unless one has traveled in reverse and dropped into the abdominal cavity. This is called reverse peristalsis of the oviduct (a fully shelled egg travels back up the oviduct and drops in the abdominal cavity).

With normal egg laying - the yolk (ovum) is captured into the oviduct, it travels along and picks up the white (albumen), as it continues it gets a shell membrane, then finally reaches the shell gland, this is where the shell is formed, finally the bloom is added and the egg is laid. It takes about 26 hours for an egg to be formed start to finish.
(pardon my non-use of technical terms) You can look up words like infundibulum if you like

To me a bloated belly is an indication of reproductive problems-as you found out. There are several that have similar symptoms and it's hard to know which one (or even a combination of conditions) that a hen is suffering from until the body is opened.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Lash egg

 

[JiminyChristmas]

WR, sounds like you nailed it. Thanks for the detailed, layman's response! That explains alot and I feel better about culling her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

WR, sounds like you nailed it. Thanks for the detailed, layman's response! That explains alot and I feel better about culling her.

Mine are more "pet" than livestock, but I have found that those with a swollen abdomen usually have "something" in there - I usually open mine up to see what was going on. I have found cancer, egg matter/infection, fluid (ascites), etc. Unfortunately, there is no way to cure/treat or otherwise prevent a reproductive problem, the best you can do is provide supportive care and cull when the bird is declining.

Your culling her was the best thing to do, imho. Some would have suggested to keep her going for a while. I sometimes do with mine, but once they start going downhill or are not eating well, then it's time.