Growth on tail feather oil gland

[JavaRIRChick]

I picked 4 hens up today. They are my first laying birds. I got 2 RIR that are 4 months old and 2 Javas that are 3 months old. The Javas are a third the size of the RIR. Is this normal?

When i got home i saw that one of the Javas were missing a lot of feathers and has (what looks like) a growth around her oil gland. What can I do?

All input welcome
Thanks in advance

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. That looks like an ingrown feather. Get tweezers and pull the feather completely out. Then apply some antibiotic ointment or betadine. Look at posts 10 and 15 for pictures in this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644137/ingrown-feathers-now-with-pictures

 

[JavaRIRChick]

Thank you! Here is a closer look at it. There are several feather pores involved. Do i just try to pluck them all?

 

[Hens rule]

I agree. It sort of looks like it's alittle plugged up with preen oil

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you! Here is a closer look at it. There are several feather pores involved. Do i just try to pluck them all?

That's not an ingrown feather, but an infected preen gland. Try some warm compresses, and then I would lance it with a sterilized needle, then squeeze out any pus that is there. Apply some antibiotic ointment or Vetericyn on it afterwards. I'm glad that you showed a closer picture. It looked like a feather, and I thought the preen gland with higher up on the back. Let us know how it goes.