Is this a lash egg?

[uptoolateman]

I have a hen that's about 3 years old and Monday morning she was really lethargic and looked to be in discomfort. I was able to find a vet in the area that saw chickens which is really getting hard in my area for later that afternoon. Before the appointment she seemed to be recovering a bit and was happily eating, drinking and chortleling while she was doing it. The vet did a pretty good physical examination and said it was most likely Salpingitus and prescribed Metacam for inflammation. She was pretty much her old self by Tuesday morning. Wednesday evening she was roaming the yard and I noticed this hanging from her vent. At first I thought it was a piece of rope as it's really fibrous, but it has a weird fleshy sack on the end. She is still acting normal today and my vet is closed for the rest of the week. The receptionist suggested taking her to another vet, but there aren't any options close by I would have to go 20 or 30 miles and that vet is prohibitively expensive. From what I am reading if it's to the point of being a lash egg there isnt much that can be done, they either live with it for 6 months or so or just drop dead at some point before that. Any suggestions?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you take it apart? It does look like infection. I would dose her with aqua mox for a week, 250mg a day she needs antibiotics. I had a hen that had this infection after having a respiratory disease, she hasn't laid an egg in over a year but shes healthy otherwise.

 

[uptoolateman]

I hadn't cut into it yet because Iwas trying to save it for my vet since I was going to take my dog in for a new patient appointment tomorrow, but then they had to close because the vet called in sick. Maybe I will now. doesn't look like anyone near me carries that, may have to order it

 

[SmiYa0126]

I hadn't cut into it yet because Iwas trying to save it for my vet since I was going to take my dog in for a new patient appointment tomorrow, but then they had to close because the vet called in sick. Maybe I will now. doesn't look like anyone near me carries that, may have to order it

TSC ships fast. You can get it in two days.

 

[uptoolateman]

Just ordered some Aqua Mox just in case. She just went into the nesting box and it will be interesting to see what comes out next. Hoping the vet gets back to me early next week about the pictures I sent and maybe he will prescribe something as well.

 

[uptoolateman]

Well it's been 2 weeks since my hen laid that lash egg and you wouldn't know she has Salpingitis, she acts perfectly normal. My vet didn't think antibiotics would be of much use at this point since whatever caused it is probably already established and has been fought off for now, but he thinks it's most likely a chronic condition. She has not laid an egg since about 3 weeks ago and may not ever at this point, but that's ok, she's one of the friendliest chickens I've had in a while.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Well it's been 2 weeks since my hen laid that lash egg and you wouldn't know she has Salpingitis, she acts perfectly normal. My vet didn't think antibiotics would be of much use at this point since whatever caused it is probably already established and has been fought off for now, but he thinks it's most likely a chronic condition. She has not laid an egg since about 3 weeks ago and may not ever at this point, but that's ok, she's one of the friendliest chickens I've had in a while.

Hello! Hens his illness really well, keep an eye out for soft shelled eggs, the others will eat them so you might not see any proof that she's laying. I had one incident when I almost lost mine because of a secondary infection due to a soft shelled egg breaking inside of her. I caught it barely in time to treat her. Gave her calcium citrate and antibiotics. She passed the internal eggs, some didn't even have a soft shell and hasn't laid since.

 

[uptoolateman]

My other Novagen laid a soft shell egg about 10 days ago. I think part of the issue is since the sun rises so early right now I was letting them out by 6am when I head to work and they are out until dusk foraging in the yard. I don't think they were eating enough layer feed or oyster shell because the rate at which I was refilling the feeders decreased quite a bit, I originally thought it was because I recently brought the field mice population under control. We have a lot of sub divisions going up around us on former farm land and we have been inundated with field mice and rats in recent months. I have been having my son open the coop later in the morning and the other hen has since returned to laying normal eggs. The hen that laid the lash egg seems back to herself for now, but I'm being realistic that she may not have a very long life.

 

[Nomadicus]

Hello and Welcome to BYC @uptoolateman

Wishing you well with you hen. I lose one every so often because I have some high powered layer hens that it is normal for. It's still saddening to lose any.

 

[uptoolateman]

Thank you, I really like this hen she follows me all over the yard and wants to be picked up whenever possible. She would be perfectly happy as an indoor/outdoor chicken if she had her way. Both my Novagens have been prolific egg layers, too bad there isn't a good way to slow that down a bit.