Clear Liquid In the Nesting BOx

[Robinmainzer]

My DD and I found an egg in the nesting box surrounded by some smelly clear liquid. About a week latter I found a chicken that had the same liquid on her behind. I cleaned her up. She just seemed a little tired but it was a hot day and I thought nothing of it. The next day she never left the coop. And by afternoon she was dead. She was barely 3. Anything you could tell me about this would be helpful.

 

[nnbreeder]

Without more details I would possibly say the hen had EYP or some other affliction that affects the laying tract. With EYP they often fill with either fluid or egg yolks internally.

 

[Country4ever]

Maybe she developed peritonitis from a broken egg inside her?
Oh...nnbreeder, I just realized that's what EYP was short for!

 

[nnbreeder]

I have a hard time remembering how to spell it so that is why I just put EYP. plus if you do a search it will bring it up either way.

 

[Robinmainzer]

Is that contagious?

 

[nnbreeder]

EYP is often caused by either an injury or a mis-alignment of the egg laying tract causing egg yolks to drop into the abdomen and causing a severe infection.

Even though it can be caused by illness the condition itself should not be contageous.

 

[Robinmainzer]

Thanks. I thought that I would have seen other signs if it was.

 

[Wizbop]

This is very similar to the behavior/symptoms of my chicken that I just lost. She had a sour crop and had been laying jelly eggs for a couple of weeks.

 

[Robinmainzer]

As far as I know Skipper's eggs were hard shelled. I have 18 other chickens so it is hard to know. I did find the liquid on two hard shelled eggs before she died.

 

[Celtic Chick]

How horrible. I am so sorry for your loss.