New here, and have a question!

[elkcreekfarm]

Hi all!
I found this site when I googled "duck breeding chicken" and found that no, mine is not the only perverted duck out there. I had also googled "placenta from chicken" and got nothing. Yes, I found what looks for all the world like a placenta in one of my nest boxes. Deep pinkish/brown and fleshy, and when manipulated a bit with a stick, out comes what looks like an amniotic sack around something the size of an egg yolk. The whole thing is about 3 x 1 inches.... Frankly got busy with farm chores after that much poking about and haven't dissected it more. I have been mulling this over the past several hours, and can't figure out what it is. Maybe some mammal came in, gave birth, and got chased out by the chickens??
Oh, and to introduce myself - I've had 10-20 chickens (for eggs, don't like the butchering process but may get into some meat breeds eventually since I don't like to buy commercial meat) for years; live in NW lower Michigan; have ponies, sheep and rabbits (the last two, for meat) also. Nice to find this forum - and hoping you all can solve this mystery for me!
Katie

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi elkcreekfarm, There are lots of freaky confused ducks out there.

Let me ask, have you ever seen an egg that didn't have a shell? They are relatively common among birds that have just started laying or those without enough calcium in their diet. They have a leathery membrane instead of a shell. Could that be what you saw? Oh, BTW,

I was born in central MI!

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

Welcome to the BYC sorry I cant help with your question but I am sure plenty of folks on here have a wealth of information that may be able to give you better suggestions than I could at guessing .,...

 

[al6517]

 

[elkcreekfarm]

Hi again, and thanks for the welcomes!
I have had eggs without shells, unfortunately, and no, this wasn't that. I poked around a bit more at it when I got home from work today, and the round thing that was inside the other thing was blood red, soft flesh-like stuff. Like raw liver, but much less tough. Gross, really. I also posted this question to the emergency/medical questions area, and someone suggested it was a "lash", part of the reproductive tract a (usually old) chicken sometimes passes. Hmmm.... everyone looks ok, guess I'll just be on the lookout for more wierdness. Hopefully won't have anything more...