Strange, rubbery, fatty mass found in nest box [Graphic photos]

[MissCindy]

When I went out to collect eggs today, I found a very strange (and a bit disturbing) mass in with the eggs. Or maybe I should say massES, as there were smaller pieces as well as the one large mass. Since 'large' can be a subjective term, I measured the largest piece, and it's about 2" long. That's before I poked, prodded, and eventually, dissected it...





I don't know which chicken laid this, though from the eggs that I've already collected today, I know which chickens didn't lay it. For a bit of background, I have 15 chickens presently. Most are two years old, but we took in four rescues last year that we don't have a clue of how old they are, just that they are at least two, and could be much older. They're various breeds with a few mutts, and together they lay brown, white, cream, blue, and greenish-blue eggs. For quite a few weeks now, we've been getting at least one rubber egg a day, sometimes two. We have upgraded their feed and do provide oyster shell. I mention it only because I don't know if it could be related. There was a broken, rubber egg (extremely thin shelled, not all membrane) in the same nest box with this mass, as well as one or two other eggs. We use wood chips as bedding, I think it's pine -- I know it's not cedar.

So, after a while, I suppose both concern and curiosity got the better of me and I began to poke at this thing. It unravelled a bit, and then I decided to give it one good slice across the center of the largest portion of the mass, to see what kind of material this thing was made of...






Below is the last photo, after I cut it open. See how it looks much like fatty tissue? The clear pockets are more... gelatinous(?) than the surrounding material, I think. Overall, the texture of he whole thing reminds me quite a bit of balled up rubber cement, maybe not quite dried yet.



I'm hoping someone has an idea of what this might be. My only guesses would be either a foreign object getting into the oviduct and being expelled this way, or maybe some sort of odd tumor? I don't know if I should be worried for one of my girls or not. If so, I'll need to try and narrow down who spat this sucker out! Hmm, I did have a hen who had a prolapsed vent a few weeks back... could it be related to that? It resolved itself, thankfully, and I haven't seen it happen again since, though it's tough to tell... I can't follow her around checking her butt all day, heh.

Any ideas or advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Poultry parent]

that is called a lash egg and it usually means there is an infection. (i think)

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

that is called a lash egg and it usually means there is an infection. (i think)

X2 although I am not sure about he infection part either

 

[Poultry parent]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/how-hen-makes-egg-egg-oddities.html
it's at the very bottom of the page

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When I went out to collect eggs today, I found a very strange (and a bit disturbing) mass in with the eggs. Or maybe I should say massES, as there were smaller pieces as well as the one large mass. Since 'large' can be a subjective term, I measured the largest piece, and it's about 2" long. That's before I poked, prodded, and eventually, dissected it...



I don't know which chicken laid this, though from the eggs that I've already collected today, I know which chickens didn't lay it. For a bit of background, I have 15 chickens presently. Most are two years old, but we took in four rescues last year that we don't have a clue of how old they are, just that they are at least two, and could be much older. They're various breeds with a few mutts, and together they lay brown, white, cream, blue, and greenish-blue eggs. For quite a few weeks now, we've been getting at least one rubber egg a day, sometimes two. We have upgraded their feed and do provide oyster shell. I mention it only because I don't know if it could be related. There was a broken, rubber egg (extremely thin shelled, not all membrane) in the same nest box with this mass, as well as one or two other eggs. We use wood chips as bedding, I think it's pine -- I know it's not cedar.

So, after a while, I suppose both concern and curiosity got the better of me and I began to poke at this thing. It unravelled a bit, and then I decided to give it one good slice across the center of the largest portion of the mass, to see what kind of material this thing was made of...




Below is the last photo, after I cut it open. See how it looks much like fatty tissue? The clear pockets are more... gelatinous(?) than the surrounding material, I think. Overall, the texture of he whole thing reminds me quite a bit of balled up rubber cement, maybe not quite dried yet.



I'm hoping someone has an idea of what this might be. My only guesses would be either a foreign object getting into the oviduct and being expelled this way, or maybe some sort of odd tumor? I don't know if I should be worried for one of my girls or not. If so, I'll need to try and narrow down who spat this sucker out! Hmm, I did have a hen who had a prolapsed vent a few weeks back... could it be related to that? It resolved itself, thankfully, and I haven't seen it happen again since, though it's tough to tell... I can't follow her around checking her butt all day, heh.

Any ideas or advice is greatly appreciated!

It looks like Salpingitis or "lash egg" which is caused by an inflammation of the oviduct.

Here is more information, I do recommend that you read up about it, usually it is due to respiratory infection (at some point in their lives) or bacterial (e. coli, etc.) so you could in theory have a couple of hens or more laying lash eggs at the same time.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/causes-of-lash-eggs-salpingitis-by.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...ingitis_in_poultry.html?qt=salpingitis&alt=sh
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/134/salpingitis/


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...oring-i-opened-her-to-find-this#post_17145142

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...illosis_in_poultry.html?qt=salpingitis&alt=sh

 

[MissCindy]

It looks like Salpingitis or "lash egg" which is caused by an inflammation of the oviduct.

Here is more information, I do recommend that you read up about it, usually it is due to respiratory infection (at some point in their lives) or bacterial (e. coli, etc.) so you could in theory have a couple of hens or more laying lash eggs at the same time.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/causes-of-lash-eggs-salpingitis-by.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...ingitis_in_poultry.html?qt=salpingitis&alt=sh
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/134/salpingitis/


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...oring-i-opened-her-to-find-this#post_17145142

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...illosis_in_poultry.html?qt=salpingitis&alt=sh

Thank you for the explanation and the links! I had just looked up "lash egg" from PoultryParent's comment, and read The Chicken Chick's article on it... she's great... but I am thankful you've included more links from other really reputable sources as well. I'm afraid this may be quite serious, and armed with a bit more knowledge I'm thinking I may know who laid this mass. I'm betting it was the hen who had the prolapsed vent. I know I cant be sure, but she looks quite ragged these days, and it's very possible that she picked up an infection. I mean... her innards were poking outside of her body for goodness sake! I'm going to try to keep a closer eye on the whole flock, and her in particular over the next few days. I still have to read more of your links before I can really know if there's more I can do, but I wanted to thank you first for the help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the explanation and the links! I had just looked up "lash egg" from PoultryParent's comment, and read The Chicken Chick's article on it... she's great... but I am thankful you've included more links from other really reputable sources as well. I'm afraid this may be quite serious, and armed with a bit more knowledge I'm thinking I may know who laid this mass. I'm betting it was the hen who had the prolapsed vent. I know I cant be sure, but she looks quite ragged these days, and it's very possible that she picked up an infection. I mean... her innards were poking outside of her body for goodness sake! I'm going to try to keep a closer eye on the whole flock, and her in particular over the next few days. I still have to read more of your links before I can really know if there's more I can do, but I wanted to thank you first for the help.

I would try to find out who laid it.
If you suspect one, you may want to separate her out and see if she lays one for you or if you find one in the nesting box while she is isolated, then you can rule her out.
Unfortunately if I understand correctly, once you start seeing the lash eggs, it is usually advanced and there really is no set treatment or cure. I wish I knew more and could give you more advice that would make her better, but all I can say is give her some TLC and see how it goes.