Ovarian cyst (picture of weird cyst)?

[Susan Skylark]

This is a full sized dinner plate, the cyst is the size of a chicken egg, it rolled out of a 8 month old laying quail hen I culled due to temperament. I suspect she was laying ‘potato’ eggs (big, a little lumpy, slightly asymmetric, shell thin in places) but she suddenly turned mean so she had to go. Strangely I found exactly the same thing in another hen this summer who I knew to be infertile (laid eggs daily but never developed). The two birds were healthy save the weird eggs and possibly related (same hatch of shipped eggs). I didn’t get to see what they were attached to as their weight made them tumble right out of the body cavity during processing but both had what looked to be ovarian tissue at the base and I’ve seen enough cystic ovaries in mammalian species to say it looks very. similar, and with the repro issues in both birds it is very likely. I wonder if the sudden temperament change of this hen was related to hormonal issues? She has been fine her whole life in her current pen and all of a sudden is bullying everybody (no changes in anything lately!). Just interesting, possibly genetic, definitely hormone related. I wonder if quail are more prone to them than say peacocks or chickens (quicker growing and developing) or maybe just this line?

 

[muddy75]

I found one like that while processing…..i think mine came out of a male quail so I don’t think it’s ovarian cyst.

 

[Susan Skylark]

It is very possibly something else, but two weird repro hens with identical cysts is compelling. I’m surprised at how much space it took up and the bird was fine! Kidneys can turn into water balloons on occasion. There are a variety of tumors (malignant and benign) that can do it. Certain parasites (most endemic to South America and affecting sheep) can do it (unlikely in cage raised us quail!). I’d think various glands could produce something similar. Maybe your guy was jealous and had a cystic testicle! I wish I had a hundred bucks to send it in for a histiological exam but not going to happen, maybe we should write up a grant proposal…then I could breed a line of cyst producing quail for science, some of those mouse strains that mimic Alzheimer’s are worth millions (I’m joking about the quail, the mouse thing is true!).

 

[007Sean]

That looks like a 'balloon kidney'? Filled with water? Idk for sure, I've never seen anything like that before now!