extremely odd egg, possible lash egg?

[flora_fauna]

hello all, i am looking for guidance as to what (if anything) is wrong with my old isa brown girl. she’s laid a very strange egg after weeks of no laying. i assumed she was just finished and nearing EOL but then i found this! listed below is all info i think will be helpful:

- she’s 5 years old; i got her when she was 3 from the woman who hatched her.
- has not laid in 2+ weeks. (knowing her age i figured this was totally normal)
- fed nutrina all flock 18%
- has access to oyster shell at all times.
- given a treats at end of day only. either small amount of scratch, fresh veggies, dried mealworms/grubs.
- always has access to plenty of clean water.
- kept with 5 other birds (4 hens, 1 roo { just got him 6 more girls we are just taking our time with slow, proper integration}) in mid sized coop with 9x12 run (free range is not an option where i live)
- behaving normally; eating, drinking, pooping. she doesn’t appear sick or uncomfortable.
- we live in maryland.
- photos attached.

is it a lash egg? just weird? what do i need to do from here? please be gentle with replies as i am a first time poster and still very beginner chicken mom here who is very worried.

 

[Tookie]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
I think that does look like a lash egg, which would mean she has salpingitis.

 

[flora_fauna]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
I think that does look like a lash egg, which would mean she has salpingitis.

thank you for your input! salpingitis was my biggest concern. i’ve read that once the hen has passed a lash egg it is unlikely they will respond to antibiotics. while i do have easy access to antibiotics i wonder if it would be more humane to cull given her age.

 

[Tookie]

thank you for your input! salpingitis was my biggest concern. i’ve read that once the hen has passed a lash egg it is unlikely they will respond to antibiotics. while i do have easy access to antibiotics i wonder if it would be more humane to cull given her age.

Is her abdomen bloated at all?
Because of her age she is more prone to salpingitis.

 

[flora_fauna]

Is her abdomen bloated at all?
Because of her age she is more prone to salpingitis.

she does not appear to be bloated, i even palpated her all over and she seems completely normal. no noticeable change in weight, nothing feels squishy or off to me. though i am admittedly still very new at chicken keeping so i could absolutely be missing something.

 

[Kris5902]

I agree on the lash egg, if she doesn’t seem uncomfortable, you could let her continue on until she takes a turn for the worse, then cull her. They can have decent quality of life for a while, even after laying a lash egg like that. That is quite elderly for an ISA so it’s not too surprising. I try to base decisions like that on the quality of life and if the hen appears to be in any pain, rather than solely on age or an indication of a disease.

 

[Mrs. K]

Everything I read says YOU must be careful handling this as the germs pass easily to humans.

Culling or not, is your call. I would cull, and I would bury the bird. I would not want that much infection around my flock. But this is a personal decision.

Mrs K

 

[Tookie]

she does not appear to be bloated, i even palpated her all over and she seems completely normal. no noticeable change in weight, nothing feels squishy or off to me. though i am admittedly still very new at chicken keeping so i could absolutely be missing something.

The abdomen is below the vent in between the legs.

 

[flora_fauna]

than

I agree on the lash egg, if she doesn’t seem uncomfortable, you could let her continue on until she takes a turn for the worse, then cull her. They can have decent quality of life for a while, even after laying a lash egg like that. That is quite elderly for an ISA so it’s not too surprising. I try to base decisions like that on the quality of life and if the hen appears to be in any pain, rather than solely on age or an indication of a disease.

thank you for your input! to the best of your knowledge if i were to let her live on what is the likelihood one of my other birds will get sick? i have a few geriatrics in the flock.

 

[flora_fauna]

The abdomen is below the vent in between the legs.

i’ll check her there after work, thank you!