RIP, Maxie GRAPHIC Educational Necropsy Photos of Cause of Death

[chickenlady08]

I am so sorry to hear about your Maxie. I lost one of my Delaware hens we named Trooper because she was an internal layer and I had the surgery to remove the mass of egg that was in her abdomen. It weighed 2 lbs. The vet did not do a hysterectomy like I thought should have been done but she lived from May and even layed a few more eggs but then it started again and I didn't catch it in time and she passed on.

It still makes me sad and makes me not want anymore hatchery chickens again, but I don't have local breeders to buy from here in VA.

 

[EweSheep]

Poor Maxie!

Wasn't she a breeder's stock? I didn't think you had any hatchery stock except a few RIRs/Barred Rocks.......

At least she was able to give you some ideas what's going on. There was an aviary vet in here a while back but he has not signed on yet.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, she was breeder stock, the first breeder bird to go this way, more a case of egg binding than internal laying. I've lost 9 hens to something like this and she is the only one who was not from a hatchery. Olivia has issues, but she is no longer retaining fluid; however, she hasn't laid an egg in almost a year and she is not hatchery, though her mother was a McMurray BR. Right now, she looks fit as a fiddle.

Robin, I have Lexie, Reba and Sunny, who are all about to turn 5 years old, all hatchery girls. They are all that are left of my original 10 hens. Then my almost 4 year old Brahmas are hatchery stock and my banty Cochin. Even my banty has already been prolapsed and been eggbound. All from the same hatchery. At least the Brahmas are doing well, though Caroline is in full molt and not currently laying. My girls hatched here are the most trouble free I've had.

Hatchery hens are by no means the only ones who get internal laying but from my experience, they are the most likely to, especially the most common hatchery breeds, who are bred for laying over anything else.

As I added to one of my previous posts, it wasn't truly internal laying with Maxie, more like being egg bound, but without any signs that this was what was going on inside. Reproductive malfunction, yes, but really, more related to her egg size than anything else, IMO.

 

[eggboy]

What is an internal layer?

 

[speckledhen]

Eggs or the internal contents of them drop into the abdomen or back up into the oviduct and "cook". The Merck Veterinary manual has a good article on it.

 

[lotzahenz]

Thanks so much SH for taking the time to take and post these informative pics. I hope you can figure out what is causing this problem. Hopefully it was just random. HenZ

 

[TACEYPERKINS]

Cyn- I am with everyone else. I think that the girls couldn't have gone to anyone better. Someone upstairs knew what he was doing giving them to you. He knew you would take good care of them, then edjucate us aswell. Kudos. I am glad she is not suffering anymore.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Cyn, sorry about Maxie!

We had two Deleware hens from a hatchery. Both had egg laying problems more than any other of our breeds. We only have one left right now and she's our nicest chicken. Here is her sister when she was having problems: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2528

 

[spook]

Wow, that is amazing. Best thing you could do for her. I am very amazed at what you found and want to thank you for the autopsy you shared with us.

I often wonder if feed has something to do with egg issues. I cannot back it up with any information, but the amounts of pesticides that can be used. Not only have mutt flocks had these issues, show lines, closed flocks etc , so that it makes no diff on breed.

A well, thanks Cynthia for sharing your unfortunate girl.

 

[speckledhen]

You know, we broached the subject of feed a couple years ago, as maybe being a contributing factor. The issue of GMO corn was brought up, but most commercial feeds contain the same stuff, so it would stand to reason that the issues my hens have had should have been across the board if it was feed-related. It affects almost all my hatchery stock, which are bred for egg production over all else. I have fed the best foods available short of organic (which I'm not convinced really is any better, overall, sorry), but not always the same brands. And my birds free range as well, so they eat natural foods when they are out and about, in addition to their regular feed.

Hens are the only animals who get spontaneous ovarian tumors like human females (found a medical paper on that once) and they study hens to help find cures for human women. That doesn't explain why most all of my non-hatchery stock doesn't suffer from these ailments when they are on the same diet, except for, on occasion, I used to feed my BBS breeders a specific breeders' diet.