Ingrown feather?

[snakelife]

So I went out to check on my girls today and was watching while my Easter egger was preening and noticed a large lump near her tail feathers when she fluffed up. I scooped her up and looked at it and it has small feathers coming out the top and was slightly irritated. She didn't mind me poking at it and I stuck it with a pin to see if it would pop. It is hard and only bleeds when poked. No puss came out. It didn't seem to bother her to much but she was squirming by the time I wanted to take a picture of it. It wasn't causing any pain but I don't want it to get infected. Is it ok to leave it or should I cut it off? I'm a vet tech and have all the meds and resources but it is a Sunday and just wanted somebody else's opinion before I go dragging the poor bird to the vet for the day.

 

[snakelife]

This is exactly what it looks like. Any ideas on how to treat it? I was thinking of tying a piece of floss around it as I commonly do that to dogs with skin tags and such.

 

[fosterson]

Just make sure before you do anything, that it's NOT her preen gland! I've heard some semi-comical horror stories of folks mistaking that for an ingrown feather. The preen gland is at the top of the base of her tail, where it joins her body.

 

[snakelife]

What does it look like? Now you have me worried in going to take something off I'm not supposed to!

 

[fosterson]

This is a preen gland.

 

[snakelife]

That's what it is! So why have I never noticed it before? I had this chicken for 6 months and am constantly out there playing with them and have never seen it before.

 

[fosterson]

Don't worry You won't be the first or last person to not notice it. Chickens don't exactly go flaunting them.

I grew up around chickens as a kid, and I had never noticed one until about 2 months ago! LOL! When one of my RIRs moulted HARD. Lost all the feathers off her little red butt, and the pin feathers were just starting to come in when I saw it. I thought it was an ingrown feather too (I used to have a parrot who got them on his back...it was awful) and ran to check before I did anything drastic LOL! Live and learn.

 

[realsis]

Yes it might be her preen gland!!! Perfectly normal its where the oil comes out for their feathers. That's why you will see them reaching toward the back side. They get the oil from the gland and put on their beaks then put it on their feathers. You would NOT want to cut off that gland!!!! No no no no!! I'm thinking that's
what your refering to. Make CERTAIN that's not her gland.

 

[snakelife]

Well let me just say you saved both me and the girl from some torment! She would have had her gland tied off and I would have been the laughing stock of the office! Thank you for savin' our bottoms!!

 

[fosterson]

Well let me just say you saved both me and the girl from some torment! She would have had her gland tied off and I would have been the laughing stock of the office! Thank you for savin' our bottoms!!

No worries. It's what we're here for