Yellow discharge when laying an egg

[JayDee87]

Hello all,

I have a hen that has been consistently laying an egg daily, but she always has this yellow discharge on the box and on the eggs. She doesn’t act/look sick. She has been doing this for the past week. None of the other hens do it so I am curious what it is. Is this normal? Is she sick?

 

[Eggcessive]

This thread from today shows an extreme case of an enlarged lower belly from an unknown cause:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vent-gleet-swollen-abdomen.1529083/
Many hens with ascites from a medical issue such as cancer or early reproductive issue, may not be that enlarged. I have done necropsies on some thin hens with ascites. Ascites fluid from liver disease is bright yellow. I’m not sure that is what you are seeing. Does it look anything like egg yolk?

 

[Eggcessive]

I am guessing that yellow fluid is coming out of her vent when she lays, but I can’t tell you if it is ascites fluid being expelled or just liquid from her droppings. But it would be interesting to know. Here in post 42 is a series of pictures of draining a hen and what the fluid looks like:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she have any enlargement or swelling of how lower belly between her legs which could be from ascites (water belly?)

 

[JayDee87]

I am tagging @Wyorp Rock and @casportpony to see if they think this could be ascites fluid leaking. Is she having diarrhea or yellow mucus in her poops?

No diarrhea or yellow mucus in poop. A couple of my chickens had diarrhea a week ago due to change of diet, but she was not one of them. And it’s resolved now. They are pooping normal.

I’m probably not going to do the procedure. I’m not well versed enough in a chicken’s anatomy, I’m afraid of puncturing a vital organ.

I do appreciate all your knowledge. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello all,

I have a hen that has been consistently laying an egg daily, but she always has this yellow discharge on the box and on the eggs. She doesn’t act/look sick. She has been doing this for the past week. None of the other hens do it so I am curious what it is. Is this normal? Is she sick?

It’s very sticky but it’s clear. So I don’t think it’s yolk. And it’s on the darker side. I’ll take a better picture tomorrow. There quite a bit of fluid and it goes all over the other eggs too since they all use the same box.

Does she have a discharge from the vent?

Are all your hens shells nice and hard? Are you getting all the eggs you normally do?

Likely broken egg or someone is laying a soft shelled egg which spills on the others, hens are cleaning/eating all of that up.

Go out often and collect eggs, see if any are thin shelled that might break easily or if you have a hen that seems to be having a hard time expelling an egg.

 

[JayDee87]

Does she have a discharge from the vent?

Are all your hens shells nice and hard? Are you getting all the eggs you normally do?

Likely broken egg or someone is laying a soft shelled egg which spills on the others, hens are cleaning/eating all of that up.

Go out often and collect eggs, see if any are thin shelled that might break easily or if you have a hen that seems to be having a hard time expelling an egg.

I am getting 4 eggs almost daily, and I only have 4 hens. So I don’t think it’s a broken egg. Unless they do lay more than 1 egg a day. I know it’s coming from the vent of this 1 hen because it doesn’t appear unless she’s laid an egg. And I have collected them previously right after laying. The discharge is only with her.

 

[JayDee87]

I am guessing that yellow fluid is coming out of her vent when she lays, but I can’t tell you if it is ascites fluid being expelled or just liquid from her droppings. But it would be interesting to know. Here in post 42 is a series of pictures of draining a hen and what the fluid looks like:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

Thanks! The color of the fluid looks about the same. I will monitor her belly to see if it gets bigger. If it does, I might do a chicken paracentesis. LOL! If it’s big, there’s less chance of puncturing other organs. I will monitor to see if she continues to have a lot of this discharge. I’m hoping it will resolve on its own.

Thank you again for your help!

 

[JayDee87]

I am guessing that yellow fluid is coming out of her vent when she lays, but I can’t tell you if it is ascites fluid being expelled or just liquid from her droppings. But it would be interesting to know. Here in post 42 is a series of pictures of draining a hen and what the fluid looks like:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-hens-with-water-belly-or-ascites.68731/page-5

I am now convinced that the yellow fluid is the egg bloom. Somehow she has an over abundance of the fluid. Is that possible?

I caught her laying today, so soon as she was done I looked in the box. The entire egg was covered in the yellow fluid. But it was quickly drying. I caught a picture of it while it was drying. Now I feel like I should have taken a video. But anyway, the fluid was drying within seconds, but some of the fluid didn’t dry. And that’s the yellow stuff that’s left in the box and on some of the eggs.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is very interesting, and seems like a good possibility. It would be a much better scenario that ascites. Glad that you seem to have figured it out.