Warning - Graphic pics of Internal Egg Layer Necropsy

[ArizonaNessa]

I am so sorry you lost your hen. I do thank you very much for taking the time to photograph this and post it. As sad and graphic as it is I have learned something once again.

I am assuming that she looked swollen before she passed? Or maybe not? How do you know if your bird is laying internally? The reason for the question is I recently lost a seemingly perfectly healthy laying hen for no apparent reason. The only thing I noticed is that she had stopped laying a few weeks ago but I figured since she was a standard cochin she was just going broody. Not trying to hijack the thread for my problems but could that be why she died?

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

I'm so sorry this happened to her!

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I completely agree with you, Diana. I was just mentioning that it can be something that happens, no matter what you do, even without artificially extending the laying period by lighting. I do think that my hens who brood will be less likely to develop this ailment, as you noted. Wish they wouldn't breed that trait out of these hatchery birds!!

AZchknldy, yes, that could have been what happened to your hen. And you may not ever know for sure what happened to a bird unless you open her up and look for that big mess of cooked eggs inside her. Mine did quit laying weeks or even months before they died, then lost to almost nothing, became weak, convulsed and died. We found one dead, no previous symptoms, then watched a couple deteriorate slowly, one was euthanized rather than watch her continue to go downhill. We only knew after the fact, but by the third one, we knew what was going on.

 

[joebryant]

Oh my, I'm starting to wonder if I have a hen that's egg bound or I read a post and think my hen has whatever. From everything that I've read here, Leontyne doesn't have much longer to live. She started off laying humongous soft shell eggs. Then she laid a regular egg or two but stopped. She hasn't laid an egg for a long time; however, she spends a lot of time on the nest. Also, she does not fly all the way up to roost with the rooster and other two hens. She roosts on the middle "landing borard" instead.
When will I know that it's time to put her out of her misery (early). Are there specific signs to look for. I don't want her to linger. Would taking her to the vet help, or is it hopeless?

 

[speckledhen]

Joe, that does sound similar to the way it begins. As for the vet, it'd be up to you. She will begin losing weight at a certain point, if that is what's wrong with her and you may not notice till you pick her up and feel her keel.

 

[dlhunicorn]

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1158765194
@JoeBryant > the link above will take you to articles on reproductive disease... I have excerpted some sections but I suggest you read the articles . There is always info that ppl may not think important enough to post and reading through the articles might alert you to something you may not have considered .
If she is a special pet then consultation with an avian vet >radiographs may shed some light on what the problem is if reproductive (be sure to explain she is a special pet and not "just" a farm animal!)

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Quote:
I completely agree with you, Diana. I was just mentioning that it can be something that happens, no matter what you do, even without artificially extending the laying period by lighting. I do think that my hens who brood will be less likely to develop this ailment, as you noted. Wish they wouldn't breed that trait out of these hatchery birds!!

AZchknldy, yes, that could have been what happened to your hen. And you may not ever know for sure what happened to a bird unless you open her up and look for that big mess of cooked eggs inside her. Mine did quit laying weeks or even months before they died, then lost to almost nothing, became weak, convulsed and died. We found one dead, no previous symptoms, then watched a couple deteriorate slowly, one was euthanized rather than watch her continue to go downhill. We only knew after the fact, but by the third one, we knew what was going on.

Thanks speckledhen. I do hope that mine just had a heart attack and passed quickly. I would hate to know she was suffering and I didn't know

She seemed just like her regular self though except for the no laying. Anyway thank you for the information. This is a very sad subject but very interesting at the same time.

 

[Dandy Acres]

Very interesting, thanks for the thread. I am thinking it is something like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS in our terms? But, can somebody please explain what I am supposed to be seeing in the second picture?

 

[dlhunicorn]

If one is willing to consider a vet (and IF cystic oviduct uncomplicated ) then the following seems to indicate a possible therapy:
»

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/170231.htm
(excerpt)
"...Radiographs, when the bird is stable, will often demonstrate hyperostosis of the femurs and other long bones. On the lateral view, the ventriculus will be displaced cranially, and a space-occupying mass will be noted in the renal and gonadal area. Ultrasonography can often detect cystic follicles, in additional to normal follicular development.
Treatment with leuprolide acetate (100-800 µg/kg, IM, every 30-45 days) will cause follicular atresia and a decrease in cystic ovarian size and activity. Surgery may not be needed if there is no concurrent infection or neoplasia. ..."

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

on the point of breeding it out of hens
you must remember that the hen factories that have the breeding genetics locked in are
ONLY INTERESTED IN THE HEN LAYING

then they sell them off to the places that butcher them for the meat market
so they really don't care what happens to the hens only if they lay while they are in their barns

I did processing on the hens my mother culled each yr and found several each yr with hugh globs of yellow growths in their back end
so even though I had dressed them out
when cutting out the intrals I put them in the garbage as I would not eat them so never sold them to any one

some one ask what a clump of tiny egg yolks looks like

in a hen that is laying the cluster of new yolks are about like white raisons that are in a cluster of 3-4 inches wide and 3-4 inches deep

this is why that hen had the mess she had as they were the cluster and it was growing to adult eggs for passage

as for speckled hens problems it was like calcified growths of oil and skin etc

The problem is you all keep them till they die and they accumulate the bad diseases and other factors of adult hens

Like I said the chicken factories don't expect laying hens to live past 1 yr at most

so they would get the good 350+ eggs out of them
that is all they are worried about

Also please as a group don't worry about this happening to your hens
as it will only take away the happiness of having a group of birds that are interesting to you

Happiness is only what you your self deems it to be
time will tell and then you can be concerned

any questions email me