I had never even heard of a lash egg. It had been over 10 years since we first began chicken keeping. In all that time, not once did I have a lash egg laid in my chicken coop. Until one day, a strange looking “thing”appeared. We had occasional strange eggs – bumpy shells, extra pigment, weak egg shells and one or two rubber eggs (no shell at all). And then, there it was. What is a Lash Egg you might be asking?
What is a Lash Egg ?
The first time you see this anomaly in the nest box or somewhere in the hen house you will be shocked. They are pretty gross looking objects. The lash egg may be rubbery and hard or a bit squishy but the many layers of material inside are the true markings of a lash egg.
Salpingitis
The correct term for the condition causing a lash egg is Salpingitis which is an inflammation of the oviduct where the egg begins its travels. The lash egg is not a true egg but may contain bits of egg material and a lot of pus and other material. They are rather disgusting and odd. The reason they are sort of egg shaped is because they still travel through the reproductive system, as an egg does. The one I found was very green. The inside, on further inspection, did show the layers and different material inside.
Is a lash egg a health problem?
Is it a big problem? Lash eggs, or Salpingitis can be a big problem. The inflammation may be due to an illness or infection and often by the time the lash eggs are seen, the hen is too sick to be saved. Or it could be a one time occurrence.
As with many things when dealing with chickens, we often don’t see the symptoms of a problem until it is too far gone. In our case, I looked at all the hens trying to determine which one might have laid the lash egg. All of our hens seemed very healthy and happy, eating well, interacting and dust bathing. None of the hens had any lethargy, cough, drainage or discharge.
Do You Need to Cull the Hen?
I definitely do not believe you need to cull a hen because she laid a lash egg or if she lays any abnormal egg. Many factors can contribute to upsetting the natural egg production. In the case of a lash egg, an infection or illness may irritate the Fallopian tube and oviduct causing an abnormal secretion or presence of pus. This may be serious or transient. Hens can recover from illness on their own or they may succumb. I would not recommend letting any animal suffer pain or serious illness but I believe a wait and see approach can be taken. A vet can be called to assist and may prescribe antibiotics. (read Lash Eggs And Dangerous Advice From Bloggers)
Be Wary of What You Read on the Internet
A lot of the information available on the internet recommends an immediate death sentence and here is why I think some people say this. In a commercial chicken business, the bottom line is production and profit. Now I am not saying that the operators don’t care for the chickens or want them to be healthy. I am saying that feeding a potentially, seriously ill chicken would be counterproductive to the goal.
This is why I state over and over that we need to know the purpose of the information on the internet. Why was it written, and who was it written for. Information written for poultry production houses can vary greatly from a course of action a small flock owner can take with non-communicable health issues.
What Should a Backyard Chicken Keeper Do?
In the case of backyard chicken keepers and non- contagious illness, we can usually afford to take a few days to observe the affected hen, if we can even determine who laid the lash egg. Also, seek professional veterinary help if you feel you need it. No one can diagnose anything with one hundred percent accuracy on the internet.
What can be done?
If a hen is acting unwell, I would certainly take all precautions and start good bio-security practices. Naturally, I would treat the hen with an antibiotic, prescribed by the veterinarian. In addition, keeping the hens healthy on a day to day basis is extremely important. Good preventative health care for chickens can include probiotics and herbs along with quality layer feed.
Keep Hens Healthy with Natural Care
Building a healthy immune system by feeding fresh herbs, apple cider vinegar in the drinking water and garlic added to the feed does help boost the immune system. We do all of this. Since all of my hens seem perfectly healthy, I am going to just watch for signs of illness and hope the lash egg was an anomaly.
And again, anytime you feel unsure of your chicken’s health, consult an avian veterinarian.
This post appeared on Backyard Poultry Magazine.com
Great article! Sharing on my Facebook page now.
Lisa
thank you for sharing!
When I was small my dad was manager of poultry unit. We had lash eggs every day. But out if 36,ooo hens. The lash eggs we had weren’t like one in your photos they were simply egg with shell. We had add more grit to their feed. But I remember. All people working at unit used take lash eggs home use for cooking. And they didn’t contain pus, matter etc
margaret, I have to disagree with calling the rubber or shell-less eggs a lash egg. Lash eggs are are a result of an infection in the reproductive tract. The rubber eggs or eggs with out shells are usually an anomoly that does not usually point to illness or infection. Stress can cause a shell less egg to be laid, extreme weather, predator attacks etc. Thanks for reading the article and commenting.
Janet, The eggs listed were called “abnormal eggs” which Margaret had seen over the 10 years she kept chickens. She had never seen a lash egg in all that time. She was explaining that those things are NOT considered a lash egg.
Thanks for for clarifying the comment
I have never heard or read anything like this, so thanks for sharing.
Thank you Roxanne. It is an interesting topic and rather rare in the scheme of things. Still worth knowing about.
I’ve never heard of a lash egg, but I’m glad I read this so I am not confused when I see one. Great article, Janet!
~Kristi 🙂
Thanks so much Kristi!
Thanks for this article! I recently lost a hen and couldn’t figure out why. She was a green egg layer and I was getting eggs like the green one you showed above. I just thought they were soft shelled and so I added more calcium to the feed. But this explains why she probably died. She showed no signs of illness and since I have 3 green egg layers, I didn’t know which one it was. And while she was spending more time in the coop on the nest, I thought she was just going broody. I’ll keep a look out for this in the future and know to treat accordingly. Thanks again.
Debbie I am sorry you lost your hen. I hope she did not suffer. Just remember to use your own judgement and not what an article on the internet states should be done. I would hate to see any chickens culled when they could be saved by good healthy additives and good management. Best of luck to you.
Thanks for the article Janet. The subject of what a lash egg is and looks like seems varied, perhaps as varied as chicken breeds themselves. My hen Myrtle (a black Australorp) hasn’t laid an egg in months, and had been exhibiting other signs of illness two weeks prior to her laying two small objects this morning, which appear to be the tan solid type of lash eggs, so she may not make it. She doesn’t seem to be in pain, her feathers aren’t ruffled, her breathing isn’t labored, and she’s not whining. She looks normal except for her comb is droopy and a little drab and her poop was a watery green and yellow, but after days of yogurt, Vitamin C and B12, and alfalfa meal mixed together, her poop is finally solid but it’s still that green and yellow color. She even pecks at her feed, but I never see her drink water on her own, so I gently ‘force’ two tsp. into her every hour or so. I’m at my wits end, I even wormed her just in case, but I haven’t seen any marked difference. Her crop isn’t sour, and it seems to be emptying every day so I’m at a loss. I can’t afford a vet so I’m no my own. Not many vets around here that specialize in chickens anyway. They would be guessing too, but I’d have to pay them for their guess. The not so joyous part of keeping chickens.
Aww Heather I am so sorry! I think you know as much as any of us chicken raising folks. And yes it does seem that the vets are just guessing too sometimes. It sounds like you are trying all the things I would suggest. I hope she pulls through. – Janet
Interesting fact. I’m fairly new to chicken keeping ( just over a year now), & I’m learning all the time.
Thanks.
Hi, I have had chickens for 4 years now and a couple of weeks ago I got my first shell less egg so I upped the calcium in their feed. Today I have had my first lash, OMG it was gross and worst still the hens were eating it. I gave them all a stiff talking too and removed the offending material, or what as left of it. None of my hens seem to be ill, all acting normal and eating and drinking as usual, poop also looking normal, no runny discharges or coughs, so I cannot even decide who the culprit may be, I guess time will tell or not.
The thing is I have read loads on the internet and lots of advice says to cull the chicken, well as I can’t figure out who laid it shall i cull them all, I don’t think so. You know your chickens best and as I know mine very well if they are ill I can spot it usually straight away so no culling at the Martin Household. If you get one of these “lashes” please don’t assume the worst, give the lady time it may just be nothing to worry about.
Karen. Thank you for sharing your experience. I agree and that was the main reason I wrote about the issue. Not all references on the internet pertain to raising a small flock of backyard chickens. Many recommend culling because they are giving advice to a large scale,economically driven poultry operation. thanks for sharing. Janet
Hi!
I have a 3 yr old “golden buff” that has laid 2 lash eggs since April. I assumed she would never lay a normal egg again but I’m pretty sure she has (once or twice). The area between her vent and legs is very swollen and has been for months, yet she acts completely normal. I occasionally bathe her to remove the poop in the feathers around her vent.
My one question: Is this at all contagious to my flock? I haven’t taken her to the vet or treated her in any way. She seems fine, only humiliated when I bathe her.
I doubt that whatever is causing your hen to lay lash eggs is contagious or you would have bigger problems by now. It could be a genetic problem or leftover effects from a previous infection. The cause is hard to pin point and many go on for quite a while seemingly healthy, whether they are laying eggs or not. I would try holistic health care to beef up her immunity, a good thing for any flock. If you don’t grow your own herbs, there are many places online to buy herbal blends good for your flock. http://www.fresheggsdaily.com, and Mountain Rose Herbs are two places I trust. Also, apple cider vinegar in the water, dehydrated or powdered garlic added to their grain and DE powder in the coop under the bedding all help with flock health. Good luck
Thanks for this article which a friend of mine just pointed me to. Today I got my first lash egg. I guess I’ll just see how she goes.
Good article & info so thank you for that. I won’t be spending money on a vet bill for a $10 chicken. If sick I will isolate it & try any remedy that may help. If the chicken isn’t being helped by what I’m doing or in pain then I will destroy it humanely but like I said I’m not running up a vet bill on a $10 chicken. Doesn’t make any sense for me. Thanks again for the information.
I do understand your point but I think that the purchase price of the hen has little to do with her actual value.
Of course I agree with you. I was pointing out the thought process of a commercial poultry operation and the cost benefits of culling a sick hen
I have a hen that I pulled from the backyard flock 6 months ago. I have kept her in the house and fed and watered her 2 -3 times a day. Today she laid a rubbery looking kinda egg. It had layers in it. She walks like a penguin at times and lost a lot of weight. But I’ve been taking care of her all winter and she now seems to be getting better. I even made a pen beside the other chickens to start to reintroduce her back in flock. Am I doing the right thing? I’ve talked to avian vets that told me she would only live about a week months ago and now she laid this egg.
I have a chicken who laid a lash egg. But I don’t know which one laid it. They all act happy and healthy and are all layining regular eggs as normal. I am going to do the garlic on food and ACV in H2O. But do you know if you can still eat the regular eggs that are laid by the hen who laid the lash egg? ( not talking about eating the lash egg- asking about the regular egg the hen with salphaingtitis is still laying)
Yes Sometimes lash eggs are a one time thing and the normal eggs are still fine to eat. If your vet prescribes an antibiotic for salpingitis, the withdrawal time for eating the eggs might be a factor. Please consult the vet if that is the case.
Thank you for the informative article! I just found your site via Pinterest and I?m so glad I did! I?m curious about the apple cide vinegar in the girls water. What is the ratio you use of ACV to water? We have a 3 gallon metal waterer for them so I?m wondering how much should be added. Also, is this something you would recommend with every water change or is it only to be added every so often? Thank you!
Hi Carolyn Thank you for joining me here. I use the ratio of one tablespoon per gallon of water for the ACV. I only do it a couple times a week at most.
– Janet
Thanks for the informative article, just got my first lash egg today unfortunately. Very unnerving finding that among the clutch. None of my hens appear sick at all so I?ll be keeping a close eye on them..
I have A chicken that laid a lash egg a few months ago. She did it a couple of times. And since has been laying a very slimy Glob of a shell with egg white and an egg yolk. She walks around for a day before laying it like she is egg bound and then once it passes (usually at night on the roosting board) she is fine for a day or so until she has another. She acts well otherwise. Although her feathers do not look healthy. She has lost feathers under her neck that have not grown back. Her tail feathers are frayed and not growing new ones. I tried antibiotics for 10 days a couple of weeks ago, but didn?t seem to help. Any advise?
I don’t ever diagnose health issues because I am not a vet, however it does sound like your hen might have an infection brewing inside her reproductive tract. I would recommend calling your local vet asap or consider culling her before she suffers any more
Thanks for you article; my retired hen laid a lash egg this morning but is eating well. You’re article was helpful and reassuring.
Thank you for your comment Marie
Just found one tonight! I have to say it freaked me out a bit. I had no idea what it was. Very deformed and white. Some spots are hard and some spots on the egg is soft.
This was very informative. I will now have to watch the flock much closer to see who laid it.
I do have a question….they have laid soft shells eggs in the past and I tried the oyster shells and they won’t eat it. Any suggestions?
The other form of calcium supplement that is readily available is crushed limestone. I would buy it from a farm supply store to make sure it is right for the chickens. Garden centers probably have it too but I haven’t used it from there. It might be the same I just don’t know
I found one this morning. I have a photo but done know how to put on this comment. Smelly and strange.
Hi friends,
I have read all your comments and give respects them and now I continue this issue from my practical experience,
Lash eggs laying problem can be cure but few things you should have to do:-
1-separate the patient hen from healthy hens
2-Beware the patient hen does not mate any cock
3-Give 1/2 teaspoon Acv in 1 litre of water and add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in their feed in couple of weeks.
3-Also keep Some grit mixture of limestone,granite,charcoal,salt,cuttlefish bone that’s it in a grit box 24hrs.
After weeks and weeks patient hen will lay all stucked materials inside from their oviduct,you will see the results when it completely good cure but this process takes time may be 3 months from my practical experience.
Thank you
Regards Mohammad Shahid
While good nutrition and supplements can go a long way towards strengthening the hens recovery, it may not be enough. I don’t think you can make a blanket statement that adding garlic and ACV will cure salpingitis. It won’t cure it. It may promote healing and the body may take over and heal itself. Some hens recover and lay normally again, some never lay again, and others may die from the infection. Some people can afford to visit a vet for an antibiotic and most of us cannot. There are herbs that have strong antibiotic properties that can help more than just ACV and garlic, which are also full of health benefits. I do not believe salpingitis is a death sentence for a chicken. Each chicken keeper will have to assess the situation and recovery status
Very interesting reading (comments also), do you know where the term lash egg comes from?
Interesting question. I don’t know why it is referred to as a lash egg.
Hi there. I think I found a lash egg today. It was very pale and slightly kidney shaped. One of my older hens hasn’t laid for some time (I don’t think)! and has been a little strange lately. Her comb tends to droop too. However, this morning she seems really perky. She has never been off her food. I have 7 rescue hens and generally get 5 eggs per day.