Word of the Day: Uropygial

The word of the day is uropygial.

u·ro·pyg·i·al glandˌyo͝orəˈpijēəl ˌgland/noun another term for preen gland.

preen gland 

noun ORNITHOLOGY

(on a bird) a gland at the base of the tail that produces the oil used in preening.

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      Most birds have a gland called a uropygial gland that secretes oils near the base of their tail, Chickens are no different. You can check for yourself where the tail feathers begin, it looks somewhat like a little pimple. How do they keep their feathers so sleek, prim and proper? 
      Why by preening, silly.
      The uropygial gland secretes oil, the main compound which is called Diester waxes. The chickens use their beak and the tufts at the top of heir head to extract the oils from the gland. The chickens then proceed to use their beak and tufts much like a brush, combing it through their feathers to keep them clean and dry. I wonder if their mother hen taught them 100 strokes a night will bring Prince Charming!?
      Ducks have a quite productive uropygial gland that keeps their feathers just beautifully waterproof, when merged with air allocation and bone density it allows them the advantage of 
      swimming without becoming waterlogged. A chicken has sufficient enough oils to preen themselves to withstand a sprinkling of water which will bead up and roll off, however you won't see any hens doing the backstroke nor swan dive anytime soon.
      Don't worry about your girls feeling greasy, from all their preening as the Diester waxes simply keeps their feathers smooth and shiny, but dry to the touch. 
      Apparently this little gland is responsible for much more than feather protection and maintenance as it was concluded in a study done wherein they removed the uropygial gland (who thinks to do this stuff?) from chickens to see if the gland had any effect on their sexual response and it was concluded that the oil secretion acts as a source of social odor cues, even more so with the roosters ability to receive a response from the hens he is attempting to court. It is deduced that the oil itself is an attractant and plays some sort of role in their courting. Reminiscent it seemed to me of pheromones in humans. 
      Watching my own chickens I notice my roosters have favorites and with this I venture to guess they prefers the girls who preen frequently and coat themselves well in preen oils that are most conducive with their own chemistry. My hens tend to prefer to follow one rooster about
      over others when free ranging. 
      Preening appears to also be a social thing with my girls. They love to preen one another just like besties! I see in my own flock the groups that divide and travel together preen one another and choose a rooster they follow about, or whom keeps watch over them. 
      On a final note there is an interesting study done on meat birds that basically concluded that chicks exposed to mother hens uropygial gland secretions grew larger and their meat was less yellow.
      So we have learned that chickens have a gland that secretes a waxy oil compound that they preen themselves with, which just so happens to keep them beautiful, healthy, happy, their young thrive by exposure to, and it apparently helps them to get lucky!
      Preen on my fine Ladies, preen on!
      
      
      

      

      
      

      
      

      Uropygial Gland

      
      

      Resources: http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/5/375.full  http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dominique_Saffray/publication/221972377_Influence_of_a_preen_gland_secretion_on_growth_and_meat_quality_of_heavy_broilers/file/79e41505b2558a4f62.pdf