Necropsy ((GRAPHIC)) cancer? Diseased organ? What is this?

[Nerdy-bug]

I would like to know how the chicken was behaving in the weeks or days prior to death, and if she died naturally or was euthanized. When you finish the necropsy, of course.

Here is what is weird. I spend a lot of time with my chickens and known each one’s weird little quirks. And I didn’t notice any change in her until 2 days ago after I was wrangling them all in, I picked her up and when I sat her down in the coop she went limp and had her eyes closed for a couple seconds. And since then and up to her passing she seemed to be having a hard time seeing. Maybe double vision or something. Running into things, other chickens etc and was walking really slow but still doing all the chicken things. We would hand feed her and she would still try to eat and drink. I thought maybe heart attack at first or some sort of cardiac event. Running from me and then being picked up might’ve frightened her? I just don’t know. She had to have been pretty fragile for that to happen.. But then when we opened her up and found this giant mass, that is obviously too large for such a small animal, I knew it was something more. I’ve had her since a day old chick, so she will be missed.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Incredible that she could go on chickening with that going on inside. Amazing creatures, these.
I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Bsmac]

This is our first necropsy. Can’t determine what this is. This on a 4 1/2 yr old buff Orpington chicken. It was located near the liver. (Which seems like an off color to me) all thoughts welcome! Thanks in advance!!!

Sorry about your hen, never easy to lose a bird...

 

[Eggcessive]

Was the dark mass attached to the liver? It definitely is cancer, and it has a lot of blood vessels throughout it. A vet pathologist could tell you what kind of cancer if they had the body. Sorry for your loss, but thanks for posting the necropsy photos. We all learn from seeing those.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Was the dark mass attached to the liver? It definitely is cancer, and it has a lot of blood vessels throughout it. A vet pathologist could tell you what kind of cancer if they had the body. Sorry for your loss, but thanks for posting the necropsy photos. We all learn from seeing those.

Additionally, I believe the pathologist could just look at the mass and let you know what it was that killed her. Staining and sectioning the mass shouldn’t be terribly expensive.