new here! What is going on with my hen?

kelley0427

Hatching
9 Years
May 27, 2010
5
0
7
I'm pretty sure it's the same hen causing all the problems. Here are the stats:

- A little over a year old laying hen. We've had her about 3+ months and she laid beautiful eggs up until a month ago.
- Hens are fed laying pellets, scratch, oyster shell and occasionally garden and veggie scraps.
- She's the only one of 5 laying hens that is not laying. They are all the same breed and from the same breeder.
- I checked her vent and it is moist, pliable and looks as though she is laying.
- We isolated her in a dog kennel to make sure she IS the one that is not laying.
- I thought she was getting to masculine (pecking at my toes, the other hens [but not trying to breed with them], chases the smaller chicks etc) so we got a rooster but he's only about a month old so maybe not enough time yet?
- I do not think she is brooding. She does like to dirt bathe but other than that she never goes to the nesting box.
- I can't find any place where she could be hiding eggs. We do occasionally find an egg in the run, though.
- I've checked for lice and mites. None.
- If it is a nutritional thing, why does it not effect the other hens as they are all fed the same thing.

We normally get 4 eggs a day from the 5 girls since the one is not laying. My son gathers eggs before school and got two this AM, When this photo was taken there are two more beautiful eggs, so we got our normal 4 eggs today plus whatever this is with them. Warning.. it's gross looking..
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4644909815_7c48c4c06a.jpg

What is going on with my girl??

ETA her photo. She looks healthy on the outside!
4644909833_0e31a98dd8.jpg
 
Last edited:
Oh my goodness! I will definitly be watching to see what someone says. That has to be the weirdest thing I have ever seen. Is it a chick? That is just crazy!!! Good luck with your answers sorry I couldn't help but I just had to reply to that!
 
It looks like a soft shelled egg and a POACHED EGG!! The one with the soft shell is no big deal....but the other whatever that is...is obviously a issue. If no one strolls through here today with help try putting this post in the emergencies/diseases section. I wish you luck with this.
 
Well I have to say I have never see an egg like that. Sometimes if they've just started laying you might get an egg w/ a soft transparent shell, but what you have is really different. It almost looks like an embryo... She doesn't look like she's moulting. I'm interested in hearing what others think.....
 
Thank you both. I prodded the mass and parts are soft and some are hard. I'm considering dissecting it to see if, anything, is inside! It's so gross yet interesting. lol
 
Quote:
If it were an embryo, it'd had to be in her for a while. yeah, she is not molting. I just don't know what to think of it.
 
Goodness, that is bizarre! I've seen my fair share of shell-less eggs and such, but I've never seen one that even resembles that thing! For all the inquiring minds out here, would you mind cutting in open and showing us what's inside?
 
WOW!! Is your hen a Golden Comet? It looks exactly like a few of mine... any way um that is a really wierd "egg" (if that is what you want to call it) I agree with Marie1234 if you don't find any answers that "work" post this in the emergencies/diseases section!
 
welcome-byc.gif
Very bizzare.

This comment in the above mentioned thread from the alternate forum seem to explain it:

It's what's known as a "lash". It's when part of the reproductive system sort of sloughs away. It's not rare, but doesn't often happen, usually in older chickens or ex-batts. There's no treatment needed apart from the usual system boosters like Poultry Spice. I had it happen to 3 of my girls last year, and although (I don't think) they laid any more eggs, they continued to have a happy life. They are a bit gross aren't they - stink too
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom