Weirdest of droppings - what is it?

[VlkStinu]

Hi everyone! I found the weirdest of droppings (if it is a dropping?) today in the coop - it has the colour, texture and density of a boiled or fried yolk. It's almost rubber like when you squeeze it, but the inside seems to be soft. It doesn't have a tendency to break down at all. Do you know what it could be?

 

[BGcoop]

Possibly a lash egg? What does it look like if you cut it in half?

edit: lash egg comes from an infection in the reproductive tract and can be treated if discovered early however it can also be fatal.

 

[VlkStinu]

Possibly a lash egg? What does it look like if you cut it in half?

edit: lash egg comes from an infection in the reproductive tract and can be treated if discovered early however it can also be fatal.

Oh damn, you are right. I just looked it up and it's exactly what I found, although this one is much smaller.

I've been founding unfinished soft shelled eggs in the coop for some time, but couldn't determine which hen laid these. Could it be connected?

There is one hen I've already visited vet with due to a discharge from the cloaca. I told him that she is laying good eggs and healthy droppings, so he said it's best to wait and see if the problem will not resolve on its own, seeing that she is otherwise healthy. The problem got better at some point and then back to worse. The discharge is mostly yellowish white and there is often a wet trail going down from her cloaca to the abdomen. She's been also acting a little down lately, though eating, foraging and drinking normally. Could that be the hen that laid the lash egg? Is the discharge sign of oviduct infection? The thing is, I am almost sure she is laying normal healthy eggs - I've seen her going into the coop and later finding a normal egg.

Other hens don't have any symptoms - except one hen is having some respiratory issues, I can hear her breathing and drawing breath in the morning, but this usually disappears during the day. She has been treated with antibiotics, but it didn't resolve the issue and the doctor said it could be just a chronic problem connected to her being her entire life in a commercial cage (she's a rescuee). I am thinking whether it's not an allergic reaction to the hay dust or something, considering she has it in the morning after spending night in the coop.

So all in all, I think the most probable hen would be the one with the discharge right?

Is there anything that can be done? I've read in many articles that it's a death sentence...

 

[BGcoop]

unfortunately I don’t know a sure fire way to know who laid the lash egg unless you catch her in the act. As far as treatment, it requires antibiotics but even with treatment it can still be fatal, or at least mess with the reproductive tract. If you can, maybe call your vet and see what they recommend, maybe they have tips to know who might have laid it?
My only personal experience was a hen that never actually laid a lash egg, she just stopped laying any eggs and slowly started to decline-moving slower, less “pep”, stopped flying up to roost at night. Eventually we decided to cull her and when I caught her I realized all her weight was in her abdomen, she had lost most of her muscle mass despite eating and drinking fine(I felt really bad about missing this sign) so I decided to open her up to see if I could locate the problem. Well I found it- it was a softball sized lash egg stuck inside her. Clearly it had been growing for quite some time-much longer than how long I had noticed her starting to act off, so I don’t think antibiotics would have even touched it in her case.
good luck figuring out who’s it was, I hope you can fix your hen!

 

[VlkStinu]

unfortunately I don’t know a sure fire way to know who laid the lash egg unless you catch her in the act. As far as treatment, it requires antibiotics but even with treatment it can still be fatal, or at least mess with the reproductive tract. If you can, maybe call your vet and see what they recommend, maybe they have tips to know who might have laid it?
My only personal experience was a hen that never actually laid a lash egg, she just stopped laying any eggs and slowly started to decline-moving slower, less “pep”, stopped flying up to roost at night. Eventually we decided to cull her and when I caught her I realized all her weight was in her abdomen, she had lost most of her muscle mass despite eating and drinking fine(I felt really bad about missing this sign) so I decided to open her up to see if I could locate the problem. Well I found it- it was a softball sized lash egg stuck inside her. Clearly it had been growing for quite some time-much longer than how long I had noticed her starting to act off, so I don’t think antibiotics would have even touched it in her case.
good luck figuring out who’s it was, I hope you can fix your hen!

Thank you very much for your reply, I am going to call my vet now and ask for an appointment. It's nearly impossible to catch the hen in the act, but I am almost certain this particular hen with the discharge is the one that produced the lashed egg. It makes sense due to this symptom and her recent change in behavior. None of the hens show any symptoms, apart from the one with the respiratory issues (there is one that lays the unfinished eggs, but I have no way of knowing which one - it can after all be one and the same hen). I am afraid the discharge is a sign of oviduct infection after all...

 

[VlkStinu]

So I called the vet and made an appointment for tomorrow. Apparently, the only thing we can do right now is to give the hen antibiotics. Hopefully, it will help!

 

[BGcoop]

Oh I hope it works out for you!!

 

[VlkStinu]

Oh I hope it works out for you!!

Thank you!

 

[Daisycar]

Two months ago I run into the same problem, but I knew who laid the lash egg, as I have three ex battery hens and anyone of them sleeps every night in the same space of the perch. I treated her with antibiotic (Augmentin) and, until now, she is fine. Hoping the same to you.
Rescued hens reproductive tract is often damaged, unfortunately.

 

[VlkStinu]

Two months ago I run into the same problem, but I knew who laid the lash egg, as I have three ex battery hens and anyone of them sleeps every night in the same space of the perch. I treated her with antibiotic (Augmentin) and, until now, she is fine. Hoping the same to you.
Rescued hens reproductive tract is often damaged, unfortunately.

Thank you! I am afraid reproductive issues is the cause the other two of my hens died... I know one was laying unfinished eggs and very soon after I found out, she died.

I will cut the lash egg open tomorrow... I've been watching the hen with the discharge for a while now and I've noticed a subtle change in behaviour as well as worsening of her discharge issue. I am almost 100% certain she is the one who laid the lash egg and she is most possibly the one laying the unfinished ones as well as I was thinking about it today, ruling out all the other hens. It didn't cross my mind before as I thought she was laying healthy eggs, but recounting all the evidence made me realize I was wrong.