OIL GLAND Help!

[Biddieacres]

Thanks Pop. I am calmer now, I was just freaked out that I may have hurt her. She has been through so much pain from being hen pecked and just healed then I go and hurt her. Thanks all and your right, live and learn and maybe someone else will learn from it too.

 

[laughinghen]

This was so helpful to me. I had seen my hen preening and rubbing her beak on this gland, and I was afraid it was a growth that she was bothered by! Thanks for showing the photo of it. I've only had my hens for a month and still learning..!

 

[little chirpers]

Hi all,
I'm a nubie too!

I also had the same question. I found what I thought was a parasite on my hens back. I now know it is the oil gland. Thank goodness for this forum!!

 

[aljeffers]

I noticed this on my roo the other day, but he has feathers trying to grow out of it. Is that normal?

 

[CinnysCluckers]

I know this is an older thread, but I am wondering if this is why my 4 week old pullet has this weird bump on her end. She is active and friendly and mostly appears normal...minus the hump. I have just noticed her end has been puffy like this all week. Carious to know if this puffing of the tail end could be a cause of maybe a blocked oil duct? So happy I came across this thread and feeling better about her tail end. Here are a couple picture of my Production Red or Red Sex-Link (originally bought her as a Deleware...go figure) and her bump tail. Thanks for any help!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Here is a picture of the oil gland and the little teat on top of it through which the chicken expellees the oil which it then uses to waterproof, dress, and maintain their feathers.

 

[chickiechick72]

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh155/trevor_trillion/chickens/smallbarnroof04-09010.jpg


Here is a picture of the oil gland.  So that noone ever does what I did.  They rub their beaks on this when pruning their feathers.  They rub the oil on their feathers to make them water proof.

I had not ever noticed this until today after I gave my chicken a bath to clean up her poopy bottom. When I was done drying her and left her alone she looked like she was pecking at it, but she must have just been doing normal chicken stuff.
I'm so relieved to have found this thread!

 

[rIrs roost]

This is a really old tread but thanks for posting this. Really helps new byc keepers.