[shaggybfc]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and keeping chickens.  We took 4 Ex-Bat chickens just over a week ago and everything seems fine, even if the egg production is currently poor (9 eggs from 4 hens in 9 days). Today when cleaning the girls out, I found a very strange object in the tray.  I can only describe it as a shriveled skin coloured peanut.  It is about the size of a little finger and is fairly soft.  I broke it open and it could be un-folded.  I think it may be a strange type of egg - just a soft shell.  Any advice will be gratefully welcomed.
Thanks

[agapanthus]

I think it's a dried out egg that did'nt have a shell around it.

[SMD66]

not sure, probably what agapanthus said but..YAK 

[shaggybfc]

Thanks for the reply.  We clean out the girls daily, so this 'egg' could of only been in the coup for a maximum of 24hrs.  Is this normal??  

[too many girls]

i think it's a lash ( i have found similar objects in my nest boxes) but hopefully someone will be along soon who knows for sure what it is.

[agapanthus]

Is it not a bit big for a lash? I dunno
Every day!!!! You are making me feel guilty!!!!

[shaggybfc]

Aye, I did say we have only had the girls for a little over a week.....I'm sure the daily cleaning will soon stop, especially when the night draw in...
Excuse my ignorance but what is a lash? Thanks

[hillfooter]

It's an egg which has gone badly wrong.  Probably a soft membrane shell (or more than one) which has formed around a misformed egg.   Could be an indication of a nutritional disorder or infection.

Or it could be that creature from Alien.
Regards

[karlooben]

i would also say it is a lash egg , i have had quite a few of those from my ex batts an it hasnt  caused them any proms. to me they are nothing to worry about but i am still learning  maybe its down to the bird having a good clean out of her insides from time to time which means an egg doesnt get to form right .

[lightyears]

It's an egg which has gone badly wrong.  Probably a soft membrane shell (or more than one) which has formed around a misformed egg.   Could be an indication of a nutritional disorder or infection.

Or it could be that creature from Alien.
Regards

no one can hear you scream on the allotments forum......

[Paul Plots]

Is a "lash" restricted just to chickens and not other birds?

I ask because I have kept foreign finches, budgies and cockatiels for years and have not come across anthing like this despite breeding hundreds of birds.

Thin shelled eggs - yes.

[Flowerpower136]

We've had our 8 ex batts now almost a fortnight, and initially we had a couple of what I called soft shell eggs, was getting one every other day.

One, was a bit like yours, a sort of leathy pouch, but it had split, and there was egg inside.

Another, was basically just an egg without a shell, just a mess in next box, and the last one was paper thin shell which had crumped and left a mess.   Have been adding fine oyster shell to their food, and fingers crossed, it hasn't happened since.

Spoke to our local gamekeeper about it, and she says nothing to worry about, it's just the stress of the rehoming, and they will settle down.

Our egg fluctation is variable too.  Again, I think its partly due to the stress and change.  Also think ours are starting to moult, which will also reduce egg production.  It's the time of year for it I think.

[Paul Plots]

I always provided my foreign finches and other aviary birds with cuttlefish-bone and grit... I dare say chickens have to have a high calcuim in-take too.

Just as an observation...... no Idea what I am rambling on about!! 

[Foxy]

they look a bit like tightly layered thin sliced ham if you care to dissect them, but smell awful!!!!

[karlooben]

they look a bit like tightly layered thin sliced ham if you care to dissect them, but smell awful!!!!

thats just so so gross  i cant even touch mine