Processed a laying hen, found swollen intestines… what caused this?

[Sunshine Chick]

She had no signs of illness on the outside that I remember, besides maybe a slight case of diarrhea. Her intestines were full of this chunky yellow stuff… it didn’t smell particularly bad that I remember. It was really weird.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

The last pic looks like a HUGE lash egg forming, or several in a row - and it's in her oviduct, not the intestines - as far as I can tell. I also see lots of small bits of yellowish material (fat? tumors? bits of egg yolk free in the abdominal cavity?). Salpingitis in chickens can look a lot like this. Had you noticed that she stopped laying some time ago? It's pretty common in backyard flocks, and is not contagious, nor does it infect the meat - she's still safe to eat. Just a result of bacteria getting into her oviduct and messing things up.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. I'm still learning, too.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

 

[Sunshine Chick]

The last pic looks like a HUGE lash egg forming, or several in a row - and it's in her oviduct, not the intestines - as far as I can tell. I also see lots of small bits of yellowish material (fat? tumors? bits of egg yolk free in the abdominal cavity?). Salpingitis in chickens can look a lot like this. Had you noticed that she stopped laying some time ago? It's pretty common in backyard flocks, and is not contagious, nor does it infect the meat - she's still safe to eat. Just a result of bacteria getting into her oviduct and messing things up.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. I'm still learning, too.

There weren’t any unlaid eggs inside of her like there were in the others, so I’m guessing she hadn’t laid for awhile.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The last pic looks like a HUGE lash egg forming, or several in a row - and it's in her oviduct, not the intestines - as far as I can tell. I also see lots of small bits of yellowish material (fat? tumors? bits of egg yolk free in the abdominal cavity?). Salpingitis in chickens can look a lot like this. Had you noticed that she stopped laying some time ago? It's pretty common in backyard flocks, and is not contagious, nor does it infect the meat - she's still safe to eat. Just a result of bacteria getting into her oviduct and messing things up.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. I'm still learning, too.

I agree with you.
That is the oviduct (reproductive system) not the intestines and it looks like Salpingitis.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Reading to learn things and question, what breed do you have?

 

[Sunshine Chick]

Reading to learn things and question, what breed do you have?

I was told they were Plymouth rocks, but I’ve also been told they were mixed breeds. Not sure what they might have been mixed with, though.
The ones I butchered are like the barred black and white hen pictured below.