What on earth is this "meaty" thing?! Any ideas?

[chicknmom]

I just collected eggs from my happy flock and found this odd 'thing' amongst the eggs. It is roughly 1"x2" and looks like a chicken may have pecked it a bit, so that the inside is partially visible. It is "meaty" looking and feels pretty solid. At first I thought it was just an odd-looking shell-less egg, but it is definitely not.

I don't know if one of them has a prolapsed uterus that has come out or something bizarre like that!All the hens seem fine, so what on earth is it? I've never come across something like this before.

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[coach723]

That appears to be a lash egg. It's caused by salpingitis, inflammation/infection of the oviduct, and generally the long term outlook for whichever bird passed it is poor. So sorry. Here is some more information for you on salpingitis:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

 

[micstrachan]

Lash egg from salpingitis. Sorry.

 

[chicknmom]

Could it be a 'lash' egg?

 

[chicknmom]

Could it be a 'lash' egg?

Oh! Just saw the replies above! Thanks.

 

[coach723]

You are welcome, but very sorry it isn't more encouraging news.

 

[chicknmom]

Would there be anything visible on the hen to indicate that she's 'the one'? They all look fine to me.

 

[coach723]

You may be able to feel her abdomen, below the vent and between the legs and feel some bloating. It depends on how advanced it is. She may feel pretty good right now after passing that mass. Hopefully this isn't too much information: Some birds can live for quite some time with this, others pass away more quickly. As time goes on the bloating will get worse, ascites may form (fluid in her abdomen) and she may walk/waddle with a wide legged stance. It can make pooing difficult and may cause a slow crop as digestion becomes difficult with the pressure on her internal organs from matter building up. I've lost several to this. I leave them with the flock until they are obviously uncomfortable and not well, not doing regular chicken things, and then I don't allow them to suffer. I have tried treating in the past, I personally have not had one recover, usually by the time they are symptomatic it has been going on a while, they are very good at hiding it. Not all birds will pass a lash egg, it will just build up inside and the disease is not confirmed until necropsy. I've had them last 18 months or a bit more, or pass relatively quickly. If she lives for a while, careful handling will need to be done as the abdomen swells, it puts a lot of pressure on them, is uncomfortable when being held, and in severe cases a fall can cause a rupture, when it's advanced.

 

[chicknmom]

You may be able to feel her abdomen, below the vent and between the legs and feel some bloating. It depends on how advanced it is. She may feel pretty good right now after passing that mass. Hopefully this isn't too much information: Some birds can live for quite some time with this, others pass away more quickly. As time goes on the bloating will get worse, ascites may form (fluid in her abdomen) and she may walk/waddle with a wide legged stance. It can make pooing difficult and may cause a slow crop as digestion becomes difficult with the pressure on her internal organs from matter building up. I've lost several to this. I leave them with the flock until they are obviously uncomfortable and not well, not doing regular chicken things, and then I don't allow them to suffer. I have tried treating in the past, I personally have not had one recover, usually by the time they are symptomatic it has been going on a while, they are very good at hiding it. Not all birds will pass a lash egg, it will just build up inside and the disease is not confirmed until necropsy. I've had them last 18 months or a bit more, or pass relatively quickly. If she lives for a while, careful handling will need to be done as the abdomen swells, it puts a lot of pressure on them, is uncomfortable when being held, and in severe cases a fall can cause a rupture, when it's advanced.

Very helpful - thank you.