HELP PLEASE! POSSIBLE LASH EGG!

[SulkyBantam]

There's an orange rubbery stringy mass found outside in the run.

It looks like a lash egg, but I have only 2 layers! Both are healthy, 1 lays big white eggs every day, 1 small brown eggs and just started laying.

The lash egg was not in the eggbox though....

the reason I'm panicking is because This has NEVER happened to me before!

How do you cure it? I'll post pics when I can!

I have not cut it open yet but I will.

 

[casportpony]

I'm thinking its just a shell-less egg laid by a newbie hen, but I'll keep an eye on it.

A shell-less egg looks like an egg, not like what you described. This is a shell-less egg.

They just prescribe antibiotics no matter WHAT.

I hate to say it, probably it's probably what she needs.

 

[casportpony]

BUT she's not ill! She's totally healthy! not even slight discomfort!

Quite often they are.

 

[The Happster]

I know. But why do people reply more to chat threads than emergency threads?

Because not everyone has expertise in medical areas, and no one wants to misinform. Pretty straightforward to me. Most members aren't even awake.

Don't take it personally. In the meantime, search the forums for other similar cases. I'm sure you'll be able to find something.

Hopefully you won't see any more.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

People generally avoid threads titled with a specific problem when they know they don’t have the answers to that problem. I assure you, unanswered threads don’t go unanswered for long. In addition, I do notice BYC isn’t as active at this time as other times.

Sometimes shell-less eggs can look like a lash egg, so without a picture it’s hard to say what you’ve got.

Do you know for sure who laid the egg?

I have never treated for a lash egg. What I do know is a true lash egg is a sign of an infection and sometimes it’s already too late for treatment. If you know who laid it, and if you don’t already have antibiotics on hand, I’d contact a vet right away or see what you can do to find antibiotics. A strong round of antibiotics or surgery are about your only options.

I hope you can find some better answers. I usually back up my answers with some internet searches, but I’m responding from my phone.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I dont even know if it is one. I don't understand why it was outside. One hen lays outside

It may have been laid outside because the hen laid it unexpectedly. I'm sure lash eggs and shell-less eggs don't come out feeling the same as an actual egg. It also moves down the pike at a different rate of speed, and could have been laid after then pullet already tried to lay in the nest box. Even with normal eggs, I occasionally find one laying near the nest box instead of in the nest box.

Do you still have the material that was laid? Is it a lump of stuff? Can you cut it open?

I'm on a computer now. Since you can't take a picture, maybe comparing what you're seeing to other examples of lash eggs and non-lash eggs will be helpful.

https://timbercreekfarmer.com/what-is-a-lash-egg-salpingitis-in-laying-hens/ <---- info on lash eggs WITH PICTURES

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/what... original definition of a,is a soft-shell egg. <---- more info on lash eggs with pictures

https://www.yourchickens.co.uk/care-and-advice/how-weird-is-that-1-3369631 <-- pictures of shell-less eggs.

https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...-did-my-chicken-lay-a-shell-less-egg-H85.aspx <--- another shell-less egg

 

[Fallenone05]

BUT she's not ill! She's totally healthy! not even slight discomfort!

Many chickens won't express an illness until they're very sick or close to death. They're prey animals and act normal until they're nearly dead.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Without a photo it will be really hard for most people to give you advise - that’s why posts on this forum with photos tend to get more and quicker responses. Lash eggs are typically more common in older birds and are definitely a cause for concern, but it could just be a production malfunction if your brown egg layer is just starting (I’ve seen lots of posts with odd eggs when birds start laying).

 

[TwoCrows]

BAH the camera won't work!

So its about 15 cm long, stringy with lumps, orange like a light yolk, rubbery all the way through, does not cut cleanly.

No lumps or pink inside. Not egg shaped. Almost like jellified yolk.

Lash eggs happen for a few reasons. The Shell Gland can be defective in young birds or infections of the Oviduct will cause lash eggs. Of course old age causes break downs in the system.

If the Shell Gland (uterus) is not functioning properly, the yolk may not leave on time and it sits there and cooks. When it passes out it's nearly hard boiled. I have found that hatchery or poorly overbred hens many times have bad shell glands or ovaries that release yolks too fast. So you get eggs with no shell, yolks laid off the roost bars at night and lash eggs. Old age can effect how well the Oviduct functions and as a hen ages, she may lay more of these. This being said, a malfunctioning shell gland may only occasionally pass a lash egg. If this is the case, I wouldn't worry about it.

Infections usually happen to younger birds, bacteria gets up into the Oviduct and as far back as the yolks. Many times you can't tell the bird is all that sick until the infection progresses. If a hen is passing lash eggs regularly, especially a young bird, she has an infection. I have had great success with Amoxicillin, it's attacks this type of infection fast.

How old is your bird? Is this the first time you have found one of these?

 

[casportpony]

Is a vet an option? Sounds like it could be a bacterial infection of her reproductive tract. If one one mine passed something like what you described I would weigh her on a good scale to get a baseline weight, start on a strong antibiotic, and re-weigh once a week until she started laying again.