HELP, tumors ALL inside of hen....

[pips&peeps]

I've cut open a couple internal layers that passed and what came out of them looked like huge cooked blobs of egg yolks.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Quote:
Remind me - were the tumors down in her lower abdomen? Or up where her ova should be?

If there were some inside the liver, that was likely cancer (marek's or leukosis) unless they were fat globules... Still possible.

If you have a hen that was going to be processed anyway, I don't see why you shouldn't just go ahead and look. Some people simply raise them for meat.

They were nearly all over the inside of the body cavity...

It's not a case of them not laying at all, but I have this other one BO hen who is nearing 2 and is barely laying, maybe once a week. She is eating more grain and costing me more money than she is giving back and I have noticed lately that her feathers look really, really nice, which I remember reading somewhere (In storeys maybe?) that when a hen stops laying their feathers get nicer because they aren't using up energy and whatnot making eggs...

I will process her tomorrow and let you all know how it turns out.
I have no issue doing it, I raise meat birds... Not a big deal. I just didn't want to get bashed for sacrificing one to "examine" essentially, but I have a good sized flock of valuable meat animals and I cannot take the risk.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Someone refresh me here but there is no cure for Marek's disease right? What about the Leukosis?

I have about 65 birds right now... I'm really starting to panic.

 

[dlhunicorn]

such a pity there are no photos of what you found in your bird , but a guesstimate (based on your replies) would be internal layer and the fluid was ascites (often present with this condition) many drain with needle aspiration however this will keep coming back as it is secondary to another condition.
This can be treated but recquires an ovidectomy. Read here below> from mandy that I condendensed and Alan put up on his site with photos of the surgery:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/PennysSurgery/PennysSurgery.html

...this is a very advanced case > less advanced cases will present with round nodules such as you saw in the thread from speckledhen

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Very interesting read! Thanks so much for that super helpful link!
I too sincerely wish I was able to take pics, but I was the only adult home and my son who normally helps me process the meaties, couldn't stand to see her be operated on so he retreated upstairs, who can blame him!

Once the fluid starting coming there was no way I would have been able to wield a camera and clean up and everything. It was intense.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

?

Can the oviduct burst inside the hen?

 

[dlhunicorn]

if you are referring to the liquid... I am pretty sure that is due to ascites and not to burst oviduct... ascites is quite common secondary condition especially with this type of reproductive problem... you said it was clear (if infected it would have been cloudy and dark)

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Yes it was VERY clear and a little slimey but thin... I remember thinking that it was VERY like Amniotic fluid in pregnant women.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Unfortunately, no - no cure for Leukosis either, any of the strains.

Don't panic, just take a deep breath. Probably more people than we realize have had Marek's in their flock and don't realize it. Leukosis is less common. If you have another problem bird, just get the resources together now for testing / necropsy. Call your state ag college, find out who does necropsies and testing, what they need, etc. That way if something else comes up you're prepared and will know what the college needs as some need live dying birds, others need carcasses but prepared in a certain way, etc.

And hopefully you'll be prepared and won't need it.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Unfortunately, no - no cure for Leukosis either, any of the strains.

Don't panic, just take a deep breath. Probably more people than we realize have had Marek's in their flock and don't realize it. Leukosis is less common. If you have another problem bird, just get the resources together now for testing / necropsy. Call your state ag college, find out who does necropsies and testing, what they need, etc. That way if something else comes up you're prepared and will know what the college needs as some need live dying birds, others need carcasses but prepared in a certain way, etc.

And hopefully you'll be prepared and won't need it.

No, there are NO cure for Leukosis. Carla and I have Spitzhaubens that carried this fatal gene, either they will die from it or be carriers. Not all birds will die but it is a bad trait to have when Spitzhaubens in this country have it (I must say almost all of them). I had one private breeder's bird tested and she has Leukosis positive. I have not yet tested the Ideal Hatchery Spitz girl here. When I have the extra cash laying around, I will have her tested. It is not cheap (not to me since the blood tests have to be sent to U of I) and the last test was very expensive but it gave me a piece of mind if that Leukosis positive bird gets ill, then i know what she is suffering from. My Ideal Hatchery Spitz is doing really well and will be three years old coming Feb. I was planning on raising Spitzhaubens but positive Leukosis on a private breeder's bird (did not come from hatchery) was positive and was certain almost all Spitz have this trait. Who knows for sure because many of us have not have the time or resources to get it checked out. Maybe a Leuokoid negative Spitz flock is the way to go.

There are certain breeds that have this trait genetically. Like all of us, we will keep trying to find the negative LLV flock.