Lash egg or soft shell?

[Chickeemariee]

One of my normally super consistent egg laying hens has slowed down her production recently. Shes otherwise acting like her normal sassy self. Today I found this thing half in half out of the nesting box. She’s laid funny eggs before and I know that just happens sometimes but I want to make sure this doesn’t appear to be a lash egg or some other problem. As always thank you for any and all help

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That looks more like egg shell to me than lash material but I could certsinly be wrong. Lash eggs are generally more like a solid lump of solidified pus, to my limited understanding.
@Eggcessive
@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
What do you guys think?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree, doesn't look like lash material, more like part of an eggshell.

If you get something that appears more like a fleshy lump, that could be lash material. For a positive ID make sure to cut it open and photograph the interior as well.

 

[Chickeemariee]

That looks more like egg shell to me than lash material but I could certsinly be wrong. Lash eggs are generally more like a solid lump of solidified pus, to my limited understanding.
@Eggcessive
@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
What do you guys think?

That’s what I was thinking, do you think it’s just one of those freak lays that chickens sometimes have?

 

[Chickeemariee]

I agree, doesn't look like lash material, more like part of an eggshell.

If you get something that appears more like a fleshy lump, that could be lash material. For a positive ID make sure to cut it open and photograph the interior as well.

Very good info will do should I come across something like that! Do you think this is just one of those weird chicken things?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very good info will do should I come across something like that! Do you think this is just one of those weird chicken things?

Could be as simple as a glitch or possibly the egg broke inside her on the way out. I'd keep an eye on her activity level and behavior but if all that looks good then you shouldn't need to do anything.

 

[azygous]

I agree with @rosemarythyme . Absent any hen acting sick and lethargic, it's probably a thin-shell egg that broke as the hen was getting out of the nest, and opportunists picked all of the egg off the shell. That's sometimes what I see in a nest box after an old hen lays a thin shell egg. Sometimes the pine shavings in that nest are wet and slimy, providing more evidence that it was a broken egg and the chickens cleaned up most of it.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you know which hen laid the thin shelled egg, I would give her human calcium citrate with vitamin d for several days up to 7 days. 300-600 mg is fine. I agree, it looks like a thin shelled egg that was broken or eaten.