Infected preen gland?

[rjg3rjg]

I posted in another article about my chicken who's currently molting. Her name is Red. However somethings wrong with her. Can anyone tell me what to do about this? I tried to massage it to make something come out but no luck. Saw where someone on another thread said to lance it with a sterilized needle. If I have to I will. But want to know I'm at least doing the correct thing first. Please help. Mom loves this little chicken. She's always been the runt. The one who never fully developed her waddles. The bad luck girl. If something happens it always happens to her. Hell hurricane Helene almost killed her when our coop flipped and shes been attached by a fox twice and lived to tell the tale. Which is why momma loves her so much. Shes so pathetic looking at the moment.

 

[Eggcessive]

Try holding her with a very warm wet compress (folded wash cloth is good) for about 10 minutes and then massage it afterward to express the oil. Vitamin A deficiency sometimes can be a reason for preen/oil gland issues. Occasionally tumors may also affect them.

 

[rjg3rjg]

Try holding her with a very warm wet compress (folded wash cloth is good) for about 10 minutes and then massage it afterward to express the oil. Vitamin A deficiency sometimes can be a reason for preen/oil gland issues. Occasionally tumors may also affect them.

So i had actually put her in a warm Epsom salt bath for 15 minutes. She pooed. ALOT. But I still couldnt get anything out of the gland. Anymore suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try the warm to hot wet compress later, and then massage the surround ping glands. Try to get oil out of it. Are you feeding a good balanced feed? Make sure her feed is 90% of her intake, and a 20% protein feed is good during a molt. Vitamin A deficiency can cause preen gland problems, so important to get a balanced feed. Hers just looks prominent with her missing feathers. The gland itself doesn’t look abscessed.

 

[rjg3rjg]

I would try the warm to hot wet compress later, and then massage the surround ping glands. Try to get oil out of it. Are you feeding a good balanced feed? Make sure her feed is 90% of her intake, and a 20% protein feed is good during a molt. Vitamin A deficiency can cause preen gland problems, so important to get a balanced feed. Hers just looks prominent with her missing feathers. The gland itself doesn’t look abscessed.

Our chickens eat better than us. We have a mixed flock so there's multiple different types of feed mixed together, plus meal worms, soldier fly larva, watermelon, kale, iceberg lettuce, tomato, potato, squash, sunflower seeds, peppers, etc etc etc, usually every day or every other day. Shes walking funny now. Her food is packed into a spot below her throat. She's molting. That gland is now not normal looking. Ill include photos. I've taken some amoxicillin capsules I have and broke one down in water. Im gonna give it to her once I can catch her again. From now on shes gonna be coop bound till I know shes better. We will continue to give her Epsom salt baths every day. And I will start dosing her 15mg of amoxicillin every 24 hours. I can not for the life of me get her oil gland to unswell. Nothing has worked. Hot compress. Epsom salt bath. Etc. All I can think to do is give this antibiotic and MAYBE take a sterilized needle to it to suck most out. Do you have any other suggestions?