Rooster Anatomy

[Russo's Roost]

I have a 9 month old Plymouth Rock Rooster.
I noticed him bringing his head around and scratching his back near the base of his tail feathers.
There is a protuberene there that is surrounded by a redish area, the protuberence is a light off white color and not very big.
I don't know if it is a maggott burrowing it's way into his flesh or part of his anatomy.
What do you think? I have looked on the internet for the answer and I am not having any luck.
I have another porblem also, a mink showed itself on my property today and at one time it was about 8 feet away the coop.
I'll have to deal with that soon.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

It is an oil gland. In fact, if you check your other chickens you should be able to find it in the same place on all of them... When they preen then use their beaks to gather oil from the gland and then put it on other parts of their bodies. It is kinda creepy looking; I can't remember where I learned about it?

sorry about the mink, they're pretty vicious little critters. Hope you can get him before he gets your chickens!

 

[dacjohns]

It's an oil gland. Your hens also have it. Probably most all birds have it.

 

[Russo's Roost]

Thank you for the posts, I am releived about that. Now to deal with the mink, I hate to destroy it but when it comes down to the mink or my chicks, the ckicks win. I immediately got some dehydrated cyote urine and spread it around the area as a temporary deterant, I will get a have a heart trap tomorrow and set it. Does anyone need a new mink hat in the rough?

 

[jjthink]

Sounds like your birds need a secure outdoor enclosure, if they don't have one already - to avoid pred problems as well as to minimize the need to delete preds. Preds of one kind or another will almost always be around. Unfortunately for our feathered friends, chickens are in high demand

JJ

 

[Funky Feathers]

Here are pics of duck oil glands & me flushing them.

I'll try to get better pics tomorrow.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Say, does anyone know where I can get a book or picture of the nasal passages of a chicken? I have to pick my Roo's nose clean and flush it, and I don't want to remove any normal tissue. I pic or diagram of chicken nasal pasages would be great!

 

[enola]

Why do you manually flush the oil glands?

 

[samnsuey]

The gland is called the uropygial oil gland. All chickens have it, they use it to preen their feathers. You can find it by pushing down the main tail feathers and rubbing your hand up to lift the cushion feathers. It might also have a little feather tuft growing out of the top.

 

[Funky Feathers]

I only do it when they are clogged up and the duck is waterlogged.