During their initial experience with chicken farming, many individuals tending to backyard flocks encounter several unusual egg characteristics. Among these are eggs that feel rubbery, lack a yolk, or contain blood spots, which typically do not pose significant issues. One such abnormality is known as a lash egg.
Throughout your extensive experience with raising chickens, you might not have encountered a lash egg. While there are various other irregularities that can occur in egg production, the presence of a lash egg is particularly worrisome.
If you’re a backyard chicken enthusiast and are unfamiliar with the concept of a lash egg, it’s essential to learn about it. Keep reading!
Exactly what’s a Lash Egg?
When you encounter this strange phenomenon in your nesting box for the first time, you may feel taken aback due to its unappealing appearance. It’s important to understand that what you’re seeing is not eggs at all; rather, it is a lash egg.
A lash egg, scientifically referred to as caseous exudate, is a dense mass of tissue surrounded by a protective shell. This condition arises when the hen’s oviduct becomes inflamed as a result of a viral or bacterial infection known as salpingitis. The inflammation leads to the expulsion of pus and various bodily substances from the hen.
Similar to chickens, humans are susceptible to salpingitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the fallopian tubes (oviduct).
What Does a Lash Egg Look Like?
The lash egg resembles an egg, yet it is actually a disturbing accumulation of pus that feels squishy and rubbery, encased solely in a tough outer layer.
In reaction to the irritated oviduct, the chicken’s immune system tries to isolate the infection by forming a lumpy, waxy mass known as a lash egg. This abnormal, egg-like structure may include pus as well as fragments of egg white, yolk, blood, the membrane of the egg, and tissue from the oviduct wall.
An intense odor seeps through the exterior, along with the textured layers of bumps and ridges present in the substance.
Although lash eggs have an elongated appearance, they are fundamentally shaped like traditional eggs. This is a result of the mass traveling through the hen’s reproductive tract prior to being laid.
Causes of Salpingitis Infection in Chickens
The precise origin of salpingitis in chickens remains unclear. However, some identified risk factors include the presence of lash eggs.
Overcrowding
Under certain conditions, commercial poultry operations may house their birds in such tight quarters that the risk of infection increases. When chickens are overcrowded, they can rapidly transmit viruses, and protozoa present in their water supply can also lead to infections among hens.
Chickens inherently harbor bacteria in their bodies, making them susceptible to infections. If the oviduct sustains a cut, it could allow bacteria to invade, resulting in salpingitis.
Chicken owners must prioritize early management of salpingitis within their flocks by ensuring the use of healthy parent birds and administering appropriate vaccinations against respiratory viral infections that may be common in their region.
Bacteria & Viruses
In cases of salpingitis, pathogens such as bacteria or viruses infiltrate the birth canal and ascend through the reproductive system. Infections can also travel via the bloodstream from the abdominal cavity directly to the fallopian tubes, allowing them to disseminate from one tube to another.
Chickens are capable of moving or bringing back up clumped egg formations of different sizes through reverse peristalsis, ranging from smaller ones in the oviduct to larger eggs.
In certain situations, a significant mass may develop that exerts pressure on the intestines and other internal organs, but it does not cause a rupture in the oviduct. Consequently, the bird experiences challenges with breathing and struggles to obtain sufficient fresh air for its air sacs.
Can Salpingitis Kill Chickens?
It’s unfortunate for chickens to produce lash eggs, and the problem might already be affecting your hen by the time you discover it.
A hen diagnosed with salpingitis typically has a life expectancy of no more than six months, making the prospects for recovery quite low. If the infection has been allowed to progress for over 24 hours before being identified, the chances of survival diminish even further, since it is particularly lethal within that initial 24-hour period.
Even if your hen recovers, the infection could lead to infertility, potentially resulting in lash eggs.
Lash Egg (Salpingitis) Types
1. Bacterial Salpingitis
Larger lash eggs frequently exhibit membranes, yolks, eggshells, and oviduct tissues that are linked to salpingitis caused by bacterial infection.
Slicing through the cheese-like egg exposes layers infused with onion. If the eggs have fused together or become trapped in an irritated oviduct, they may appear caseous—crumbly, soft, and dry, resembling cheese.
The pathogens frequently responsible for bacterial salpingitis include Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Mycoplasma, and Pasturella.
2. Viral Salpingitis
Swelling, bleeding, and light-colored creamy fluids are typical characteristics observed in atypical viral lesions associated with salpingitis. Various viruses, such as influenza, adenoviruses, and Newcastle disease viruses, can lead to the development of salpingitis.
Salpingitis Predisposing Factors
Various elements play a role in the formation of lash eggs in chickens, such as:
- Obesity
- Over 2yrs of age
- Egg laying in excess
- Malnutrition
- Overnutrition
- A cycle of egg production that is prolonged
- An excessive amount of abdominal fat
- E.coli entering during vent pecking.
- Excessive egg production due to hormone activity (estrogen)
Lash Egg & Salpingitis Symptoms & Signs
Infected hens often exhibit vague symptoms that can be challenging to differentiate from various other health issues and ailments, including the presence of a lash egg.
Salpingitis presents with various clinical indicators, such as:
- Eggs with abnormal, malformed, or irregular shapes
- Loss of weight
- Thirst that is excessive
- Fatigue
- Feathers that are ruffled
- A bloody lash egg with a weak shell
- Breathing with difficulty
- A wrinkled shell
- Egg white with a pale color and a thin texture
- Decreased activity
- Walking style similar to that of a penguin due to inflammation in the abdominal area
- A decline in egg production
- A urate leak caused by a damaged vent
Lash Egg & Salpingitis Symptoms & Signs
Infected hens often display symptoms that are not unique, which complicates the process of identifying them from other illnesses and issues.
Salpingitis presents a variety of clinical symptoms, such as:
- Eggs with abnormal, malformed, or irregular shapes
- Loss of weight
- Thirst that is excessive
- Fatigue
- Feathers that are ruffled
- A bloody lash egg with a weak shell
- Breathing with difficulty
- A wrinkled shell
- Egg white with a pale color and a thin texture
- Decreased activity
- Walking style similar to that of a penguin due to inflammation in the abdominal area
- A decline in egg production
- A urate leak caused by a damaged vent
How to Prevent Salpingitis
1. Good Nutrition
Ensure that your birds receive sufficient feed, but only the amount necessary to avoid excessive weight gain. Additionally, adhere to your veterinarian’s guidelines for appropriate dietary practices.
2. Vaccinate
Ensure that your birds receive vaccinations for respiratory viruses like Bronchitis to protect them from infection.
3. Purchase Clean & Healthy Parent Chicks
It is important to acquire chicks from NPIP-certified suppliers, ensuring they undergo testing for bacteria such as Salmonella, which can be readily passed to the chicks while still in the egg.
4. Good Backyard Biosecurity
Ensure that your backyard, including the chicken coop, nesting boxes, and bedding, remains tidy and secure to avoid overcrowding. This will help in managing infections and viruses effectively.
5. Chicken Necropsy
To safeguard the health of the entire flock, it’s important to perform a necropsy on chickens that pass away for reasons that are unclear.
How to Treat Salpingitis
1. With Antibiotics
Early detection of bacterial salpingitis allows for effective antibiotic treatment while the pus remains in a liquid state. Unfortunately, since many individuals are diagnosed at a later stage, antibiotics often prove to be ineffective. At present, there is no available treatment for viral salpingitis.
2. Through Surgery
The surgical removal of the pus, fallopian tube, ovary, and egg parts is possible; however, this procedure carries the risk of infection and potential recurrence.
3. With Hormone Treatment
Veterinarians can also perform surgical procedures to implant hormones that inhibit yolk release and ovulation in chickens. This technique is often employed to prevent the occurrence of lash eggs.
4. Cull
The severity of the illness affecting your chickens could determine if it’s necessary to eliminate your whole flock. Ensure that your yard is sanitized, and then begin anew with healthy chicks.
While it may not be feasible, if you have a large number of chickens, it’s essential to have a veterinarian evaluate every single bird.
5. Anti-inflammatory Medications
Medications like Meloxicam can be administered orally to help reduce abdominal swelling.
Summary
Regardless of the care they provide, chicken owners often find it impossible to stop their hens from laying lash eggs, as salpingitis can occur in birds at any point, irrespective of their overall health. The most effective strategy is to maintain good flock management and monitor for any signs of illness or abnormal behavior in the birds. It’s always wiser to prevent issues than to treat them later.