Strange ingrown like feathers

[Spiase20]

So my girl duck has started molting, and she has a tendency to pluck around her breast area in this weird strip.

No mites, fleas, I am pretty sure it has to do with brooding/nesting.

I keep an eye on it, but I recently noticed she has these holes where her feathers used to be and some feathers that seems to have missed their exit and are ingrown.

I disinfected her chest and gently guided 3 of the in grown feathers throw the holes. They were like bumps in that area trying to get out, so I had an idea where to gently tug them out. Not pull out but guide through the hole.

Towards the bottom of her chest in the picture, you can see what I am describing about the ingrown. I haven't touched this one since it hasn't formed a bump yet.

Any ideas. Anyone dealt with this before? There wasn't much in the topic when I googled.

 

[KaleIAm]

My duck has an ongoing problem with ingrown feathers, but on the base on her tail near her preen gland. Everytime she molts they grow in wrong.

The first time I didn't notice it until the feathers nearby were curling, so I checked it out and found a large lump under all her fluff. The vets had to surgically removed it under anesthesia. It was filled with a full feather all curled up. Now a couple months after she molts I take her in and they remove it again, but she doesn't need anesthesia.

The vets think the feather follicle was damaged by over mating by wild mallards when she was abandoned before I adopted her.

I can't really tell what's going on in that photo, but that is what happens to my duck.

 

[Spiase20]

Was it just the one feather or multiple?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Wild, I get that if I shave everyday, maybe she should cut back to every couple days.. helps me

Sorry couldn’t stop myself

 

[KaleIAm]

Was it just the one feather or multiple?

Hmmm... The first one was a few years ago now... I think the big one that turned into a lump was just one. But several feathers around it were curly. They might have started as ingrown and broken free? They still look odd years and several molts later. The hard middle part of the feather that is round that the soft feathery parts come from grows flat and weird - and the feathers curl up. I'll take a photo tomorrow. She's in bed already.

 

[Spiase20]

It's kind of surprising how little about this topic is out there. I would think with all the over preening or other ducks or chickens pulling feathers out, that this would come up more.

 

[KaleIAm]

It's kind of surprising how little about this topic is out there. I would think with all the over preening or other ducks or chickens pulling feathers out, that this would come up more.

My vets didn't remark on this being an unusual condition, as they have on other things. You might try searching for this condion in parrots, or just avian.

I spent about $800 just on the surgery to clean out the ingrown feather. They had to clean out a lot of surrounding tissue as well, so it was a big deal and they weren't even sure she'd recover. Then she had to go on antibiotics and stay inside away from her flock for 2 weeks. I pour resources into my little flock, as they are my adored pets, but I still missed the ingrown feather for who knows how long. Months I'm sure.

I'll take a photos of Thimbleberry's tail tonight when I get home from work.

 

[KaleIAm]

She's got about 4 feathers on one side of her preen gland being weird right now, and 3 on the other. They are hard to see unless I separate them from all the fluff. They are less dramatic than they used to be. I hope that means the follicles are healing.

I feel like I've seen feathers like in your photo before in parrots who have anxiety and overgroom themselves on their chests.... I just can't remember.