Chicken Attacked By Dog Strange Mushy Egg

[smsimmer]

Hi. I am new here. Hoping to get some insight.
Long story as short as I can—

I’ve had chickens for a month and a half. They were given to me. All of the chickens are active, healthy, shiny feathers, eating drinking and active. They’re free range during the day and cooped at night. They’re between 2-4 years old from what I was told.

last night my favorite hen got attacked by dog.she was in the house being treated for a bad case of bumble foot and a mistake was made. She was soaking in an epsom salt bath. I already know I am a POS for what happened so please if you can avoid don’t lecture me on my stupid mistake because I already feel awful about the dog issue. After the attack she was put into the epsom salt bath for her foot and her rear.

Mostly feathers plucked on her rear. She may have some cuts or bites but I am new to chickens and dont know what a bare chicken butt looks like with feathers ripped out. I think there may be a big cut but again I do not know There was no blood or meat or anything on the floor when I cleaned up just feathers. She was treated with vetrinycin and put in a dog kennel in a spare room with food and water and is safe.

She’s been active alert eating pooping and drinking and acting otherwise normal since last night.

Today I went in to check on her and I found a soft egg that she likely stepped on but in the middle of the egg it looked like wet dog food.
Attached pics of the egg when I found it and the inside after I opened it up and looked at it. It was almost a fully formed egg when I found it but it looked like she stepped on it and cracked it open.

It was gross.
I picked it up and pulled it out.

I asked some what it was and they all immediately said LASH. Others said likely stress from attack or that she was egg bound and that it was just a coincidence and that the epsom salt bath helped her release it.

I freaked out over the LASH comments and instantly went into panick mode thinking I was going to get sick because I’ve been touching her and I touched the egg.

I called a vet and they said it was very unlikely it was LASH due to the fact that she’s been acting normal, has been active. Eating and drinking etc. he said I can have the egg cultured if I really want to but he said he’s 99% sure it wasn’t LASH.

But he didn’t say for sure what he thought it was. He said if she is older they can have issues laying and have issues.

Been secretly scouring these forums since I got chickens.

There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable folks rather than people who don’t know chickens spouting off the worse answer possible so I figured I’d ask here if anyone has ever seen an egg like this and what they think it could be.

Also attached photo of her rear after attack if anyone can give me insight on that as well.

Thank you.
I am looking forward to learning more.
I’m sorry I made a mistake which got my girl hurt.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

Can you get some better photos of her hind quarters? If you can get the photo with the light source facing it, members will be better able to see what's going on.

I have no idea on the egg but I wanted to say that everyone makes mistakes as a new chicken owner. It's unfortunate but how we all learn. I hope your girl makes it and is just a fluke egg.

 

[smsimmer]

Can you get some better photos of her hind quarters? If you can get the photo with the light source facing it, members will be better able to see what's going on.

I have no idea on the egg but I wanted to say that everyone makes mistakes as a new chicken owner. It's unfortunate but how we all learn. I hope your girl makes it and is just a fluke egg.

Thank you. Chances are if someone says anything negative I deserve it. I want to make mistakes like a lack of nutrient not finding out my dog is 1. smart enough to unlatch a tote my bird was in for the epsom salt bath and 2. unlock a bathroom door to get to her. Those are the mistakes I don’t want to make that result in a painful injury to an innocent animal. Lesson learned 10000x over and over but I’ll never be able to forgive myself for it- especially if she doesn’t make it. She is the only bird out of 8 (they were not tame when we got them they were just egg layers) that comes to me up close. She is my girl.
When I go to see her she moves her tail up and down. I don’t know how else to describe it other than she is moving her tail like she is going to poop but she isn’t (she is pooping normally regardless but she is moving her tail like that) not sure if she is only moving it when I am near or if she is doing it alone too.

I sprayed her down again tonight. Not sure if it would be good to give her another epsom salt soak tomorrow or not if it’ll help the wound?
The egg is super weird. I cannot find anything else like it. The inside is like guacamole. It doesn’t look like any LASH egg I’ve found on google. Maybe my vets are wrong and it is LASH. But I am baffled.

Thank you.

 

[Weeg]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Today I went in to check on her and I found a soft egg that she likely stepped on but in the middle of the egg it looked like wet dog food.

I freaked out over the LASH comments and instantly went into panick mode thinking I was going to get sick because I’ve been touching her and I touched the egg.

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your hen

I'm looking at your photos.
I'm going to ask about her wounds first, then address the egg.

In the photo I post below, I have a red circle. Is that her vent (where eggs and poop comes out) or is it above that? Hard to orientate the photo and just making sure what I'm seeing.

IF the red circle is the vent (looks like it might be) it's been damaged and she's leaking urates, maybe material that was found inside the egg.
Do what you can to keep her cleaned up, a soak can be helpful if she's not lethargic. Vetericyn/Vetrimycin can be used, that's good. Triple antibiotic ointment can also be used.

The inside of the egg is not normal. I am going to say that it is likely Salpingitis (Lash). Whatever "name" we give it, to me, it's infection. Do you have any antibiotics on hand?
Amoxicillin is a good choice. A lot of folks use Baytril. Baytril is not approved for use in poultry, so do your research on that, but it's a very good antibiotic. Infection of the oviduct, if caught early can be headed off sometimes. Not always, but it's worth a try, especially if she's acting normal.

I would keep her eating/drinking, tend to the wounds and get some antibiotics into her.

No judgement here at all. Accidents happen in a hurry. Do the best you can.
I would love to see some photos of her face too!

 

[azygous]

Your introductory narrative was long, but thorough. Far better than the two sentences we usually see with a newbie. It usually reads like this, "Help! Sick hen! " for the title and, "What is wrong with my hen? Please help!" So yours is very welcome.

Your hen should be on an oral antibiotic such as amoxycillin for both issues. The dog attack most likely injected bacteria deep into her tissues that wound cleaning won't remove. And the egg material looks very much like internal laying. Here's an article with photos on this subject. https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/cuddles-lays-five-cooked-eggs-internal-laying/

I've seen such an "egg" as your hen laid, but inside the abdominal cavity of a hen that I had cut open after she died suddenly. I found several eggs, cooked by her body heat, inside her abdomen. Here are photos I took. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-what-it-looks-like.1349959/

You can find Fish Mox or Aqua Mox online or ask at Tractor Supply if you're in the US.

 

[smsimmer]

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your hen

I'm looking at your photos.
I'm going to ask about her wounds first, then address the egg.

In the photo I post below, I have a red circle. Is that her vent (where eggs and poop comes out) or is it above that? Hard to orientate the photo and just making sure what I'm seeing.

IF the red circle is the vent (looks like it might be) it's been damaged and she's leaking urates, maybe material that was found inside the egg.
Do what you can to keep her cleaned up, a soak can be helpful if she's not lethargic. Vetericyn/Vetrimycin can be used, that's good. Triple antibiotic ointment can also be used.

The inside of the egg is not normal. I am going to say that it is likely Salpingitis (Lash). Whatever "name" we give it, to me, it's infection. Do you have any antibiotics on hand?
Amoxicillin is a good choice. A lot of folks use Baytril. Baytril is not approved for use in poultry, so do your research on that, but it's a very good antibiotic. Infection of the oviduct, if caught early can be headed off sometimes. Not always, but it's worth a try, especially if she's acting normal.

I would keep her eating/drinking, tend to the wounds and get some antibiotics into her.

No judgement here at all. Accidents happen in a hurry. Do the best you can.
I would love to see some photos of her face too!

Hello thank you for your comment.

I am not sure where her vent is.

I will be honest and say I am not familiar enough with chicken anatomy to be confident to state what it is we are looking at.
I’m sorry.

Also the vets I talked to said this is not LASH.

They did recommend I give her penicillin for the wound and said it’s possible because her bumble foot was so bad (it was about 1/4 of an inch that went through her entire foot one end to the other) he said perhaps the bumble caused the egg but they said they cannot be sure whag caused it but they’re confident it isn’t LASH.

I did say this In the original post but I know my post was long and I talked about the LASH a ways down I’m sorry.

 

[smsimmer]

Your introductory narrative was long, but thorough. Far better than the two sentences we usually see with a newbie. It usually reads like this, "Help! Sick hen! " for the title and, "What is wrong with my hen? Please help!" So yours is very welcome.

Your hen should be on an oral antibiotic such as amoxycillin for both issues. The dog attack most likely injected bacteria deep into her tissues that wound cleaning won't remove. And the egg material looks very much like internal laying. Here's an article with photos on this subject. https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/cuddles-lays-five-cooked-eggs-internal-laying/

I've seen such an "egg" as your hen laid, but inside the abdominal cavity of a hen that I had cut open after she died suddenly. I found several eggs, cooked by her body heat, inside her abdomen. Here are photos I took. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-what-it-looks-like.1349959/

You can find Fish Mox or Aqua Mox online or ask at Tractor Supply if you're in the US.

Hello thank you.
I am so sorry it was so long.
I figured it best be long and as thorough as I can be to avoid people asking questions that should be stated in the post To be the most Informative.

I figured it be best to get answers and have questions asks that are less obvious.

So I do appreciate all of the responses I am getting.

I am thrilled to find that there may be a cause for the egg that isn’t LASH related that I can look into.
That makes me feel much better and I am going to thoroughly look at the links you sent to better understand.

I wasnt sure if the dog attack could cause an infection or issue quick enough to hurt the egg but it does make sense.
Thank you.

 

[artsyrobin]

View attachment 2992214
Thank you. Chances are if someone says anything negative I deserve it. I want to make mistakes like a lack of nutrient not finding out my dog is 1. smart enough to unlatch a tote my bird was in for the epsom salt bath and 2. unlock a bathroom door to get to her. Those are the mistakes I don’t want to make that result in a painful injury to an innocent animal. Lesson learned 10000x over and over but I’ll never be able to forgive myself for it- especially if she doesn’t make it. She is the only bird out of 8 (they were not tame when we got them they were just egg layers) that comes to me up close. She is my girl.
When I go to see her she moves her tail up and down. I don’t know how else to describe it other than she is moving her tail like she is going to poop but she isn’t (she is pooping normally regardless but she is moving her tail like that) not sure if she is only moving it when I am near or if she is doing it alone too.

I sprayed her down again tonight. Not sure if it would be good to give her another epsom salt soak tomorrow or not if it’ll help the wound?
The egg is super weird. I cannot find anything else like it. The inside is like guacamole. It doesn’t look like any LASH egg I’ve found on google. Maybe my vets are wrong and it is LASH. But I am baffled.

Thank you.

 

[artsyrobin]

First don't beat yourself up, things happen. As far as lash, it's not, lash is solid, rubbery. This is most likely from stress. So I would monitor her closely.