vera just laid something very odd, any ideas what??

[akaxo]

when i first saw it i just assumed it was an egg with a soft shell but when i picked it up it felt solid though softish to the touch, kind of like rubber maybe.

and on the inside didn't look egg like to me at all. the outside did sort of look like a soft shell in parts but the inside? hard to describe. there was some clear fluid amongst harder stuff. didn't smell too pleasant either, not a strong smell or anything though, had to hold it up to my nose to smell anything at all. kind of like old seafood maybe?

i have absolutely no idea what it could be. she seems fine, had a loud sing after laying it and wandered off outside. yes, the charming lass laid it on a pillow next to the couch in our sunroom so that's how i know who it was

any info or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[wpalmisano]

That is a chicken hemorrhoid. ( Yes that was an attempt at humor,)

 

[Mahonri]

Let's hope it's not the entire egg laying apparatus.

 

[akaxo]

could that happen??

and a chicken haemorrhoid? not serious are ya

 

[GermanChick]

Wow, that is weird. Are you sure that came out of your chicken ????

yack ..........
Sorry, now idea what it is or why she delivered you such a special treat

 

[thegoldengirls]

It's a soft egg.
Not uncommon to see.
I keep oyster shells where mine can get at them all the time and I still get an occasional soft egg.
You can get them where they look paper thin, tubular, or just like a deflated egg.
Wait til you get a "rubber" egg.. LOL... they look normal until you touch them.
I get one probably once a month or so.. where you got to grab eggs and one jiggles as you grab it. Makes me jerk my had away every time.

This is one that I actually had to "help" remove. I had a hen expel the inside of the egg, but no shell. Unfortunately, it was so soft that it broke as she was laying.
After soaking her bumm in warm water, I was able to help her pass the soft shell. Not very pleasant, but she was fine after.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We have had some strange ones, too. Is it the weather or the season?

 

[akaxo]

thanks for the comments everyone, even the haemorrhoid one

(by the way, if you google "chicken hemorrhoid" this thread is in the top ten already haha)

i'm pretty sure it came out of the chicken, especially seeing as she left it all warm and wet inside for us and she sung a wee song to let us know it was there.

never had a soft shell egg like this one but good to hear that is likely all it is. it definitely felt most like rubber out of anything. had me baffled as it was nothing like the other ones we've had sometimes where it has an obvious white and yolk inside. they get mainly fed pellets but also get oyster shell as they get a fair bit of random left overs too. the one that laid that is an ex-battery hen who's getting on a bit now and have been told they can have problems with laying odd eggs when they get older??

thanks again.

 

[Imp]

In Britian it is called a "Lash".

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/rule-roost/strange-object-nest-box_25234.html

Imp

Other strange egg things

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/WeirdEggs/WeirdEggs.html

 

[akaxo]

ah excellent thanks that's it exactly! Thanks heaps Imp.

from the first link you posted:

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.

someone in that thread described it as signalling chicken menopause

i'd be glad if she never laid again actually as she has had a few problems with malformed eggs and has had to have a course of antibiotics to get over the complications from one so hopefully that will never happen again. would be ideal if she can just live out the rest of her days eating bugs, chasing the cats, keeping the other girls in line, annoying my fiancée for food and just been an all round in ya face menace