what is the inside of a hen supose to look like?

[rockymtnchickens]

I know this might sound like a dumb question. But this is our first year raising chickens and have just started to harvest a few of them and have done our first hen. We get her second hand, I believe she was about 1 year old and hadn't been laying in a long time. When we opened her up out came about 100 fluid filled sacs, ranging in size from a small grape to a large marble. They was a lot of cappillaries supporting all of these sacs but all stemmed from one major blood source. The sacs were clear and when pierced a clear fluid came out. Is this normal? Is it safe to eat her meat? I am also concerned about another hen possibly having the same problem.......if it is a problem. Thank you for you help.

 

[cjeanean]

wow, that sounds kinda weird.....Never heard of that one....Someone a bit more experienced will have to answer that. You may want to change your title to something about the fluid filled sacs (that way people know you have a real situation rather than thinking you're just being curious), and pics would be helpful.

 

[Chicabee19]

rocky,

were you able to take a picture of that?

 

[bluebirdfarm]

sounds like maybe egg bound ?
not sur e though...........................

 

[lostsoulhelpmejebus]

Rocky,

Too bad you don't have a picture.

Sounds like perhaps you found the embryonic eggs...eggs that had not yet developed fully and been laid outside the body. We had a few CornishX hens that we found those in this spring when butchering. The bigger ones had a yellow/orange tint while the small one really has no color to them. Just guessing from your description.

 

[rockymtnchickens]

I wish i would have had the hindsight to take pics of it, however it my first harvesting of a hen so I thought it was normal until I spoke with a friend. He said that usually there are just a few eggs ranging in size in the canal but he never seen what I described as a "grape-like cluster"........
I will most likely be culling another hen this weekend that was from the same source as the "sick" hen and i will let you all know what I find as she to has stopped laying and possibly has the same problem....???
We will see...