Lash Egg in Chickens

By John Walker · Backyard chicken keeper in Dallas, Texas since 2017

A lash egg in chickens is a mass of pus, yolk material, and tissue that forms inside the oviduct when it is infected, and is then passed instead of a normal egg. It often looks like a piece of cooked meat or a rubbery, misshapen lump. Finding one means the hen has salpingitis, so isolate her and call a vet.

Important: This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your bird is sick, injured, or not improving, contact a poultry veterinarian promptly, and always follow your vet's instructions and product labels for any medication.

What is a lash egg in chickens?

A lash egg in chickens is a mass of pus, yolk material and tissue that forms inside the oviduct when it is infected, and is then passed instead of a normal egg. It is often described as looking like a piece of cooked meat, a rubbery lump or a small, misshapen egg with a lumpy surface.

Cut open, it shows layers of cheesy material, which is why it is sometimes called a lash egg.

The mass forms because the oviduct is inflamed, a condition called salpingitis. The inflamed oviduct sheds pus and debris, which builds up in layers around a core of yolk or egg material, and is eventually pushed out. A hen that passes a lash egg has had an infected oviduct for some time, and the lash egg is usually the first visible sign of it.

Lash eggs are not contagious in themselves, but the infection that causes them can be. The bacteria most often involved, such as E. coli, are common in the environment and in the gut, and they reach the oviduct when a hen's defences are weakened by stress, a vent injury or another illness.

Signs of salpingitis before the lash egg

Most hens show signs before they pass a lash egg, though the signs are easy to miss. Egg production drops or stops, the hen may lay soft-shelled or misshapen eggs, and she may spend more time in the nest box without laying.

Some hens develop a swollen abdomen, walk with a penguin-like stance, or pass droppings that look watery or contain yellowish material.

A hen with salpingitis often looks slightly off rather than obviously ill: she eats a little less, moves a little less, and her comb may look paler than usual. In more advanced cases she becomes lethargic, stops eating, and her abdomen swells with fluid or with the infected material itself. By the time a lash egg appears, the infection is usually well established.

If you find a lash egg, check the hen that passed it and the rest of the flock. Look for hens that have stopped laying, hens with swollen abdomens, and hens that look lethargic or fluffed up. Note which hen it was if you can, because that bird needs a vet assessment, and the information helps the vet decide on treatment.

What causes lash eggs?

Salpingitis, the infection behind lash eggs, is usually caused by bacteria travelling up the oviduct from the vent. E. coli is the most common culprit, and it is present in every coop, in droppings and in the soil. A healthy hen keeps it out, but stress, a vent injury or another illness can open the door.

Salpingitis, the infection behind lash eggs, is usually caused by bacteria travelling up the oviduct from the vent. E. coli is the most common culprit, and it is present in every coop, in droppings and in the soil. A healthy hen keeps it out, but stress, a vent injury, a prolapse, a heavy laying strain or another illness can open the door.

High-production hybrid layers are more prone to salpingitis than heritage breeds, because their reproductive tracts work harder and are under more strain. Older hens are also more at risk, as are hens that have had a prolapsed vent or an egg-bound episode. Overcrowding, poor ventilation and dirty nest boxes all raise the risk by increasing the bacterial load the hens are exposed to.

Other infections can contribute too. Mycoplasma and infectious bronchitis can damage the oviduct and leave it vulnerable to a secondary bacterial infection, which is why a respiratory disease in a laying flock is sometimes followed by reproductive problems. Keeping the flock healthy overall is the best defence against salpingitis.

What to do when you find a lash egg

First, do not handle the lash egg with bare hands. It is made of infected material, so wear gloves, put it in a sealed bag and dispose of it in the household waste. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards, and clean and disinfect the nest box and any bedding it touched.

Next, identify the hen if you can, and isolate her in a warm, quiet hospital pen with food and water within easy reach. Watch her closely: is she eating and drinking, is her abdomen swollen, is she passing normal droppings, has she stopped laying? Write down what you see, because the vet will ask.

Call a poultry vet. Salpingitis is a serious infection, and a vet can assess the hen, prescribe antibiotics if appropriate, and advise whether the bird has a realistic chance of recovery. Do not give antibiotics on your own: the choice of drug, the dose and the egg withdrawal period all need vet guidance, and the wrong drug wastes the window in which treatment might help.

Treatment and prognosis

Treatment of salpingitis usually involves antibiotics prescribed by a vet, together with supportive care: warmth, easy access to food and water, and a quiet pen. Some hens respond and return to laying, though they may never lay as well as before, and they remain at risk of a repeat infection.

The prognosis is often guarded. In many cases the infection has damaged the oviduct permanently, and the hen stops laying altogether, or passes another lash egg. Some hens develop egg yolk peritonitis as the infection spreads, which is a serious and often fatal complication. Our guide on egg yolk peritonitis in chickens explains that condition, and internal laying in chickens covers the related problem of yolk released into the body cavity.

A vet may suggest that a hen that keeps passing lash eggs, or that is clearly suffering, should be culled. That is a hard decision, and it is worth discussing openly with your vet: a hen with a badly damaged oviduct is unlikely to recover, and keeping her in the flock risks further suffering. Do not eat eggs from a hen with salpingitis, and follow any medication withdrawal period the vet gives you.

How to prevent lash eggs in your flock

Prevention is about reducing stress and bacterial load in the laying flock. Keep nest boxes clean and dry, with fresh bedding changed regularly, and collect eggs at least once a day so hens are not sitting in dirty nests. Clean drinkers daily and keep the coop dry and well ventilated.

Feed a complete layer ration with enough calcium, and keep treats within the 10 percent rule. A hen that is well nourished and not overweight has a stronger immune system and a healthier reproductive tract. The chicken treats calculator helps you keep treat portions sensible, and the egg production calculator helps you track laying so a drop in production is noticed early.

Choose breeds suited to your setup, and avoid pushing hens for maximum production with extra light or high-energy feed beyond what a complete ration provides. Handle hens gently to avoid vent injuries, treat any prolapse promptly, and quarantine new birds for 30 days before mixing them in. A healthy, low-stress flock is the best defence against salpingitis.

Lash egg, internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis

Lash eggs, internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis are three distinct reproductive conditions that are often confused, because they share signs such as a swollen abdomen, a penguin stance and a stop in laying. A lash egg is infected material passed from the oviduct. Internal laying is yolk released into the body cavity instead of into the oviduct.

Egg yolk peritonitis is the inflammation that follows when yolk sits in the body cavity.

The three conditions can occur together, and one can lead to another: a hen with salpingitis may also develop peritonitis, and a hen that lays internally may develop an infection. That is why a vet assessment matters: the treatment and the outlook are different for each condition, and a hen with one of them needs a different plan from a hen with another.

The table below summarises the differences. If your hen has a swollen abdomen and has stopped laying, read all three guides, note the signs that match your bird, and take that information to your vet.

Sources: Sources: the disease and housing guidance on this page follows the poultry health material at the University of Minnesota Extension and poultry.extension.org. For diagnosis and treatment, always follow your poultry veterinarian.

Related tools and guides

For more on the same topic, see What to Feed Chickens and What Not to Feed Chickens.

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