Found a "lash egg" - Now what?

[casportpony]

You can find a vet here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048640/avian-vet-search-links

-Kathy

 

[Just sayin]

Thank you so much for giving the number for that avian health office in Puyallup. She was super helpful and after a long conversation with her, I feel like hubby and I understand a lot more about it than we did before.

She explained that it's likely one of our older hens (and our oldest hens are only in their second year). That it's not likely infectious, rather is a matter of bacteria that gets drawn back into the chicken during laying, particularly as older hens who have laid a lot of eggs tend to prolapse a bit as they lay, making them vulnerable to any bacteria on their butt or in the nest.

I think my take home is, this can happen with older chickens, and it's a good reason to take the time to clean up messy butts and change out nest bedding from time to time to make sure it's as clean as possible.

We inspected our chickens, and none of them show any sign of ill health. She said that's also common for chickens to not show clinical signs. Also that antibiotics would not likely help, even if we knew what kind. We did clean up a couple messy butts. We also cleaned the coop and put new bedding and hay in the nest boxes.

If I knew which chicken, and I knew she was likely going to die anyway, I might hit her with antibiotics just in case it might help. But I don't know which it is. I have suspicion between a couple of them, but it's not based on much.

Pics from inspections this morning, out in the barn.

First suspicion was one of these two... but maybe not. The possible evidence was a wrinkly brown egg we got a couple weeks ago, and that the lash egg was found in the "broody coop" where these two usually roost and where they often lay. And if anyone is being slow it's the buff orpington there... she didn't leave after her inspection, she's just standing there. But she's also our most tame chicken, as she's the one who has gone broody a couple of times now. She's our only momma hen.



It may be this one. She's been a rock star producer, laying an egg almost every day for her first year of laying, but we've gotten nothing from her in the last month. We assumed she was just taking a winter break finally.



Her vent seemed a little looser and redder than any of the others, but nothing obvious to me?



Here is our whole flock, when we had them cooped up in a stall for further inspection.



Thanks everyone, for your help so far.

 

[casportpony]

These are quite technical, but you might find some useful info in them:

• http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/08/18_reproductive.pdf
• http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/29.pdf

-Kathy

 

[aart]

If you can narrow it down to a few and have an area partitioned off you could put them in there for a few days and observe closely for who is laying what.

Wonders if they lay a lash egg, can they also lay a normal egg?

 

[Just sayin]

Update of sorts... One week later... So far none of the chickens look sick, and none have died.

A couple of our young pullets have begun laying new small but perfect little green

eggs, and our leghorn I suspected above has resumed laying her big perfect white eggs.

I can't be sure all the brown-egged hens are laying yet, I'm not getting eggs from all of them, but by all appearances, they're all thriving!

I don't know what to think of the lash egg experience yet.

 

[asismommy]

Going through this myself. Any update?

 

[Just sayin]

Been over two months now... All chickens still healthy and all are happily producing strong, healthy eggs.

So... I guess I might say don't panic. I know all the literature seems serious, but your chicken might be just fine.

 

[asismommy]

Been over two months now... All chickens still healthy and all are happily producing strong, healthy eggs.

So... I guess I might say don't panic.  I know all the literature seems serious, but your chicken might be just fine.

Thank you!

 

[Just sayin]

Let me know how it goes with you.

I have no idea how much of a fluke this whole experience has been.

 

[aart]

Been over two months now... All chickens still healthy and all are happily producing strong, healthy eggs.

So... I guess I might say don't panic. I know all the literature seems serious, but your chicken might be just fine.

Agrees......'lash eggs' are usually from an infection, but that doesn't mean that infection is always fatal, short term or long term.