Vent Gleet and Eggs

[Teresa3969]

can you eat the eggs from a chicken that had vent gleet?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

That is a good question. Vent gleet is caused by a yeast infection in the digestive tract. If the hen no longer has the infection, and has resumed laying, I think the eggs are fine to eat. The digestive system of a chicken is completely independent from the egg production system until the very end of the line where the egg is pushed out of the vent. The yeast is not in the oviduct where the eggs are formed, so no yeast can get inside the eggs. Chicken anatomy is designed so the egg never actually travels in the same "tube" that the poop (or gleet) uses, even though it all exits through the vent. When an egg is laid, the end portion of the oviduct (part of the shell gland) sort of holds on to the egg in the cloaca, just before the vent, and actually inverts itself and protrudes slightly as the egg emerges from the vent, keeping it clean. This process also blocks off the intestinal tract where it joins the cloaca, so poop cannot pass at the same time. The egg might get dirty if the feathers around the vent are dirty, but a chicken bath will solve that problem, or the egg can be washed and refrigerated just to be safe.

The bigger question is what caused the hen to have vent gleet. Is there a primary infection, viral or bacterial, that weakened the immune system and allowed the yeast to flourish? And if so, could this bacteria or virus be present in the eggs? I don't know the answer to that question. I will say I have had hens with gleet, and did not think twice about eating their eggs... with no ill effects, thankfully.

 

[Teresa3969]

That is a good question. Vent gleet is caused by a yeast infection in the digestive tract. If the hen no longer has the infection, and has resumed laying, I think the eggs are fine to eat. The digestive system of a chicken is completely independent from the egg production system until the very end of the line where the egg is pushed out of the vent. The yeast is not in the oviduct where the eggs are formed, so no yeast can get inside the eggs. Chicken anatomy is designed so the egg never actually travels in the same "tube" that the poop (or gleet) uses, even though it all exits through the vent. When an egg is laid, the end portion of the oviduct (part of the shell gland) sort of holds on to the egg in the cloaca, just before the vent, and actually inverts itself and protrudes slightly as the egg emerges from the vent, keeping it clean. This process also blocks off the intestinal tract where it joins the cloaca, so poop cannot pass at the same time. The egg might get dirty if the feathers around the vent are dirty, but a chicken bath will solve that problem, or the egg can be washed and refrigerated just to be safe.

The bigger question is what caused the hen to have vent gleet. Is there a primary infection, viral or bacterial, that weakened the immune system and allowed the yeast to flourish? And if so, could this bacteria or virus be present in the eggs? I don't know the answer to that question. I will say I have had hens with gleet, and did not think twice about eating their eggs... with no ill effects, thankfully.

That is a good question. Vent gleet is caused by a yeast infection in the digestive tract. If the hen no longer has the infection, and has resumed laying, I think the eggs are fine to eat. The digestive system of a chicken is completely independent from the egg production system until the very end of the line where the egg is pushed out of the vent. The yeast is not in the oviduct where the eggs are formed, so no yeast can get inside the eggs. Chicken anatomy is designed so the egg never actually travels in the same "tube" that the poop (or gleet) uses, even though it all exits through the vent. When an egg is laid, the end portion of the oviduct (part of the shell gland) sort of holds on to the egg in the cloaca, just before the vent, and actually inverts itself and protrudes slightly as the egg emerges from the vent, keeping it clean. This process also blocks off the intestinal tract where it joins the cloaca, so poop cannot pass at the same time. The egg might get dirty if the feathers around the vent are dirty, but a chicken bath will solve that problem, or the egg can be washed and refrigerated just to be safe.

The bigger question is what caused the hen to have vent gleet. Is there a primary infection, viral or bacterial, that weakened the immune system and allowed the yeast to flourish? And if so, could this bacteria or virus be present in the eggs? I don't know the answer to that question. I will say I have had hens with gleet, and did not think twice about eating their eggs... with no ill effects, thankfully.

Thanks for your response...
If she had vent gleet, because I’m really not sure, I believe it was caused by the water.
I started giving all three of my girls Apple Vinegar cider (1 tablespoon per
Gallon) in their water and plain Greek yogurt.... to help the ph balance in their bodies
I believe it doesn’t harm them and they LOVED the yogurt
Thanks again

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thanks for your response...
If she had vent gleet, because I’m really not sure, I believe it was caused by the water.
I started giving all three of my girls Apple Vinegar cider (1 tablespoon per
Gallon) in their water and plain Greek yogurt.... to help the ph balance in their bodies
I believe it doesn’t harm them and they LOVED the yogurt
Thanks again

I'm not sure how water could cause gleet, unless it had some waterborne parasite or toxin in it...
I am going to go against popular byc advice, but I do not think ACV is that great for chickens. Especially in hot weather, it is advised that you do not use it at all, as it changes the birds' pH and makes it much harder for them to tolerate high heat. You are using a small amount, which is good, but you could try switching off with plain water.
I am a huge fan of plain yogurt for chickens, small amounts, once in a great while, or when they need it if they are having crop problems. I have had a couple older hens get gleet or slow crop, and yogurt was the cure! Well, isolation, fresh water, withholding food, gentle crop massage, yogurt and time worked well for my hens.

I think you would know if a hen has gleet. Their back end gets covered with pale, nasty stuff that smells horrible. Hard to miss, unless you caught it very early, which is possible!

Enjoy your eggs!