Puss filled quill on tail feathers??

[PeepAndPeck]

I’m a first time chicken mama and recently got 4 chicks. 2 americanas/ EEs, 1 Buff Orpington, and one Blue sapphire. They are almost 11 weeks old and growing SO fast. When I checked on the girls yesterday, I noticed they were all preening themselves around their tail feathers. I assumed they were just itchy so I let them be. I went to the coop today and was going to itch them a little bit to help ease the itch but I found something else instead. The two “americanas” definitely have it and my blue sapphire has yellowed our quills at the bottom of some of her tail feathers. I have yet to check the buff but she’s the boss and has been itching like crazy so I assume she has whatever this is too. It looks like puss to me, I touched it once and some yellow liquid came out. There’s some black flakes around it too (could it be from rolling around in the dirt?) . They were sneezing a few weeks ago and I picked up some medicine that seemed to improve their sneezes. They still sneeze a little but it might just be from the contractors sand in their run and coop. I tried researching puss filled quills but the only thing I came across was quill/feather mites? Anyways, I’m new here and I’m hoping to find an answer!! Thanks in advance!!

 

[PeepAndPeck]

I’m a first time chicken mama and recently got 4 chicks. 2 americanas/ EEs, 1 Buff Orpington, and one Blue sapphire. They are almost 11 weeks old and growing SO fast. When I checked on the girls yesterday, I noticed they were all preening themselves around their tail feathers. I assumed they were just itchy so I let them be. I went to the coop today and was going to itch them a little bit to help ease the itch but I found something else instead. The two “americanas” definitely have it and my blue sapphire has yellowed our quills at the bottom of some of her tail feathers. I have yet to check the buff but she’s the boss and has been itching like crazy so I assume she has whatever this is too. It looks like puss to me, I touched it once and some yellow liquid came out. There’s some black flakes around it too (could it be from rolling around in the dirt?) . They were sneezing a few weeks ago and I picked up some medicine that seemed to improve their sneezes. They still sneeze a little but it might just be from the contractors sand in their run and coop. I tried researching puss filled quills but the only thing I came across was quill/feather mites? Anyways, I’m new here and I’m hoping to find an answer!! Thanks in advance!!

Here’s a better picture of the quill :

 

[Eggcessive]

The preen gland is located midline just above the tail. Can you locate that? It might be infected or stopped up, but if it is not the preen gland, then it may be a feather cyst or abscess. I would look for mites, since the black specks could be mites or dirt. The northern fowl mite is on the chickens 24/7 while the red roost mite is only on them at night , hiding in the cracks and crevices of the coop during the daylight hours. If you see mites crawling, then get some permethrin 10 concentrate that mixes with water in a spray bottle. Treat the chickens once every 7 days until the mites are gone. The coop, nests, and roosts will also need to be treated once all bedding is removed.

 

[PeepAndPeck]

The preen gland is located midline just above the tail. Can you locate that? It might be infected or stopped up, but if it is not the preen gland, then it may be a feather cyst or abscess. I would look for mites, since the black specks could be mites or dirt. The northern fowl mite is on the chickens 24/7 while the red roost mite is only on them at night , hiding in the cracks and crevices of the coop during the daylight hours. If you see mites crawling, then get some permethrin 10 concentrate that mixes with water in a spray bottle. Treat the chickens once every 7 days until the mites are gone. The coop, nests, and roosts will also need to be treated once all bedding is removed.

Thank you!!
I looked and I’m almost positive it’s just the preening gland!! If it’s backed up can I do anything or does it clear up on its own? Thanks again

 

[Eggcessive]

I would really check for mites, since they can endanger their lives, but hopefully there are no mites. You can use a warm wet compress to the preen gland to help treat the infection, and make sure that it is secreting oil. In bad cases, an antibiotic might be needed. Vitamin A can be good to give them if it is caused by a deficiency. Many chicken vitamins and beef liver, sweet potato, and leafy dark greens contain A. They can become deficient in vitamin D3 if their preen gland is not working. Here is a good article to read about preen gland problems in birds:
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/birdoilgland.html

 

[PeepAndPeck]

I would really check for mites, since they can endanger their lives, but hopefully there are no mites. You can use a warm wet compress to the preen gland to help treat the infection, and make sure that it is secreting oil. In bad cases, an antibiotic might be needed. Vitamin A can be good to give them if it is caused by a deficiency. Many chicken vitamins and beef liver, sweet potato, and leafy dark greens contain A. They can become deficient in vitamin D3 if their preen gland is not working. Here is a good article to read about preen gland problems in birds:
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/birdoilgland.html

Okay, thanks!
I will check for mites.