Ingrown Tail feather

[Stephanie8806]

Hey BYC community! I have a year old hen that has always been a little pecked at where her tail meets her back. Never any blood or anything, so normal pecking order stuff. Today I noticed a skin/flesh colored lump protruding from the area. It’s not red and doesn’t look swollen or inflamed... I snagged her and squeezed it lightly, it’s hard and it feels like there’s a feather shaft in there. It’s between a quarter and a half an inch long. I feel like it may be ingrown and I don’t want her to be in too much discomfort. Should I lance it to help release the shaft? Or Should I let it work itself out?

I have a picture below from the roost this evening. It’s the skin colored spot in the sea of Blu-kote feathers.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Hey BYC community! I have a year old hen that has always been a little pecked at where her tail meets her back. Never any blood or anything, so normal pecking order stuff. Today I noticed a skin/flesh colored lump protruding from the area. It’s not red and doesn’t look swollen or inflamed... I snagged her and squeezed it lightly, it’s hard and it feels like there’s a feather shaft in there. It’s between a quarter and a half an inch long. I feel like it may be ingrown and I don’t want her to be in too much discomfort. Should I lance it to help release the shaft? Or Should I let it work itself out?

I have a picture below from the roost this evening. It’s the skin colored spot in the sea of Blu-kote feathers.

That looks like the chicken's preen gland -- it secretes oil that the chicken will rub onto their beak and then onto their feathers during preening.

 

[Stephanie8806]

That looks like the chicken's preen gland -- it secretes oil that the chicken will rub onto their beak and then onto their feathers during preening.

Oh wow interesting!! I didn’t know they had this. After your comment I googled it and that is absolutely why this looks like. It’s just so strange, she’s had a little bare spot back there for the last 6ish months from pecking, and I check her every fee days to make sure there’s no open wounds. I’ve never noticed this before!

Do preen glands change in size or shape cyclically?

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Oh wow interesting!! I didn’t know they had this. After your comment I googled it and that is absolutely why this looks like. It’s just so strange, she’s had a little bare spot back there for the last 6ish months from pecking, and I check her every fee days to make sure there’s no open wounds. I’ve never noticed this before!

Do preen glands change in size or shape cyclically?

I don't think that they do, no.
It can be very hard to notice. It's a little thing way in all those feathers.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I don't think that they do, no.
It can be very hard to notice. It's a little thing way in all those feathers.

So interesting! Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

It all makes sense, I just Re-applied the Blu-Kote yesterday and was wondering why it wasn’t coated. If it’s secreting oil, the dye wouldn’t stick

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

So interesting! Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

It all makes sense, I just Re-applied the Blu-Kote yesterday and was wondering why it wasn’t coated. If it’s secreting oil, the dye wouldn’t stick

You're welcome! Glad that I could help. I hope that your girl gets her pecked feathers back in soon.

 

[Stephanie8806]

You're welcome! Glad that I could help. I hope that your girl gets her pecked feathers back in soon.

Thanks, Me too. I have three in my flock of nine that got a little picked at over winter. They have more than “enough” room in both their coop and run, but with the cold weather and short days, I think the flock had a little roost boredom since they were there for longer. All three seem to be on the road to recovery now that snow is melting, days are longer, and they’ve gotten a substantial chunk of their free range space back.