[Speckly Sarah]

My white hybrid chicken "Beatrice" jumped up onto my lap earlier for a cuddle (or perhaps because I had food) and I noticed she's got what looks like a boil on her bum! She plucked her feathers there a while back when she was feeling a bit broody and it looks to me as if she is starting to grow them back. However one small new feather can be seen growing out of what looks a bit like a boil and she complains if I touch it. It looks quite a healthy colour, if a little red. I've attached a photo (which she was most indignant about me taking!) Is it an ingrowing feather? Is it infected? Is it a cyst? Or is this normal? Any advice would be much appreciated as I've not seen this before.

[Casey76]

Looks like an ingrowing feather.  If you pluck the feather out with a pair of tweezers, you may find it is followed by some pus.

Definitely worth trying to pluck it though, as it may only get worse.  Once plucked, you should probably bath it with saline water to prevent reinfection.