Tail Feather Injury

[Hahnchen]

Our chicken has a broken feather near her tail feathers. She does not appear to be molting. It looks like a stick with a pimple on the top of it. What do we do to treat this, if anything?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

That is the oil gland. All the chickens have it. They use it to smear oil over their feathers as they preen. They rub the beak against it first.

 

[Hahnchen]

Thanks! We were worried...