Trouble with hen!?

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I thought it would be best to put the hen down. I took some pics. Found some very weird stuff in her. Maybe you guys can tell me what it is. Or what happened.

First of all when I cut her open, about a half of gallon of not even joking, of liquid poured out. Really I should say like somebody pouring tea out of a pitcher. I was not expecting that. Then this is what I found.

This is her gizzard.



Now this is the strange stuff i Found in her. Just a big ball of masses??






Can you tell me what it is?? Hopefully I can learn from this.
 
speckledhen said:
That is often the first sign of internal laying, going on the nest for long periods, even straining, then nothing. You, of course, palpate for a stuck egg, find nothing if it's not egg binding. Then, eventually, they quit going to the nest at all. They become lethargic, sometimes the abdomen swells and sometimes, it does not. Near the end, they lose copious amounts of weight, in spite of eating regularly. Then they become unsteady on their feet, weak.
Click to expand...
*Exactly* what I have seen with some of mine.

-Kathy
 
NestingHillsSC said:
I thought it would be best to put the hen down. I took some pics. Found some very weird stuff in her. Maybe you guys can tell me what it is. Or what happened.

First of all when I cut her open, about a half of gallon of not even joking, of liquid poured out. Really I should say like somebody pouring tea out of a pitcher. I was not expecting that. Then this is what I found.

This is her gizzard.



Now this is the strange stuff i Found in her. Just a big ball of masses??






Can you tell me what it is?? Hopefully I can learn from this.
Click to expand...
Oviduct cancer or Lymphoid Leukosis.

-Kathy
 
casportpony said:
Great link!

I've lost two this year to Oviduct cancer, UC Davis did the necropsy on one, I did the other. They said that it's one of the more common problems that they see in hens.

-Kathy
Click to expand...

Yea. From that link there really is no cure. Just things to maybe slow it down. Now I'm glad I put her down. She probably was in a lot of distress. Thank you for all your input.
 
One more comment... It looks like the cancer spread to her intestines. If it did, you might have been able to feel the nodules during the cloacal exam. This is what one of mine look like:




 
When I did the exam, I thought I was felling chucks of poo or something. Never had this before so I guess I actually didn't know what I was looking for. Might have to do that exam on the older hen who thinks she can lay an egg but never does. The other older one never even tries.
 
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NestingHillsSC said:
When I did the exam, I thought I was felling chucks of poo or something. Never had this before so I guess I actually didn't know what I was looking for. Might have to do that exam on the older hen who thinks she can lay an egg but never does. The other older one never even tries.
Click to expand...
When I do an exam, I feel relieved if the only firm thing I can feel is what I believe to be the gizzard, which I think is located on the left side.

These might help you do your exam:









 

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