Prolapse Eggs? (autopsy photos)

[Of Three Oaks]

I went out this morning and found one of my maran hens huddled and not moving. I went over to her and palpated her stomach and found it to be stiff and chunky...

I washed off her back side because i thought she was having trouble passing feces, but then realized her vent was clear and free of any blockage. I figured it was most likely a prolapse egg at that point. This same hen was the only one of her sisters to not lay eggs, so I figured her lady parts were just messed up. The following pictures are what I found inside of her.






Is this indeed a prolapsed egg, or is it a different condition?

 

[Of Three Oaks]

Anyone?

 

[casportpony]

How long had she been sick?

 

[Of Three Oaks]

The night before she seemed fine as all the others, but she may have been making an odd noise while on the roost with the others (could have been someone else). No prior signs of illness.

Also the eggs which were in her had no shells.

 

[casportpony]

Did you do a cloacal exam on her before you culled her?

 

[Of Three Oaks]

I did a very shallow exam, not going in deep, but instead, I palpated the abdomen extensively. I am not very well versed in chicken conditions, but i do know bird anatomy since i hunt and clean my own birds (pheasants).

My main confusion is that this hen never laid one egg, and the eggs contained in her abdominal cavity were both in and outside of her oviduct. Also some of the eggs seemed to have mostly absorbed or dehydrated within her. I can't find anything like this in chicken medical journals.

 

[LindsayB]

Maybe she was an internal layer??

 

[Of Three Oaks]

Thank you. I have never heard of an internal layer. She must have had that condition. The more you know.

Mystery solved. Thank You BYC!

 

[casportpony]

I did a very shallow exam, not going in deep, but instead, I palpated the abdomen extensively. I am not very well versed in chicken conditions, but i do know bird anatomy since i hunt and clean my own birds (pheasants).

My main confusion is that this hen never laid one egg, and the eggs contained in her abdominal cavity were both in and outside of her oviduct. Also some of the eggs seemed to have mostly absorbed or dehydrated within her. I can't find anything like this in chicken medical journals.

Wow, never found one like that, both inside the oviduct and outside, very interesting! Next time, God forbid, go deeper, if there aren't any eggs, all you should be able to really palpate is the gizzard, I think.

So far my cloacal exams have revealed internal layers, nasty, huge eggs stuck in oviduct, shell-less eggs and regular stuck eggs.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[casportpony]

Maybe she was internal layer??

I think you're right!