crow: 2012-01-15

The hello's and goodbye's continue on here.

Update at the Crow Hospital:

Patient One:
Happy, the white Indian runner duck, recovered from her gander attack, and was returned to the flock after a few weeks in the hospital. She had recovered beautifully and has been out for a awhile now. Today, Happy passed away from an unknown cause. I found her lagging behind the flock. I brought her in and gave her a warm bath and vitamins. She ate and drank and sat in front of the heater. She got sleepy. I held her and could tell I was loosing her. I begged her not to die yet, but she did in my arms looking up at me. I cried, more like sobbed. I asked Rusty to open her up and see if he could find out how or why she died. I needed to know if she had a parasite overload, or if she had swallowed something. I worried for the rest of the flock. Rusty came in and gave me the report. She appeared normal on the inside. He also marveled at the anatomy of a runner duck and shared his amazement of how much they differ from other bird. Rusty was impressed with the muscle of the Indian Runner gizzard. He told me about the crece, inside the digestive track and how it operates. I guess chickens have them too. Nothing was inflamed or enlarged, nothing looked out of order with her insides. However, he could not tell me why she died. I wasn't stuck on the why. I just was stuck on losing her. We had "saved" her before. All that energy poured into that beat up girl and tonight she just slipped away in my arms. A white feathered beauty wrapped in a white fluffy towel. She was there, and then she was gone. My kids were nervous seeing my red face and puffy eyes. I am usually the person who accepts death, and comforts myself and others with a certain amount of ease. Not this time. I am still tearing up. Deep breath.

Patient Two:
I broke Rain, the silver Indian runner duck's leg by opening the barn door with her leg under it. Snapped the femur in half. We gave her injections, set the bone, splinted the leg, wrapped her, and immobilized her. She has been in the house for at least a month. She recovered, began standing on the leg, so I moved her to the nursery area at the top floor of my barn. She leaped/flew/escaped somehow down to the lower floor. I found her hobbling but making good time with the flock outside. I snatched her up and now she is in the new brooder room. I have yet to assess the damage, but she is not putting weight on that leg anymore. I am kind of mad at her right now.

Patient Three:
Squint, the penciled colored Indian runner duck. Bitten or mouthed by Lady Gaga the pig. He was the perfect patient. He took his medicine, ate, drank and hung out with Rain, but he fell asleep one night and did not wake up. Rain continued on healing without him. We all miss Squint. I think Rain did the most. Maybe that is why she was so desperate to get out. The nursery will now be getting an overhaul. Floor to ceiling wire. Just in the event that I have to keep another a duck that supposed doesn't fly. RIP Crickmeister. RIP Lady Gaga.

Patient Four:
Marie Antoinette, the BC Maran hen who suffered a prolasped oviduct aka, blown vent. I think from the size of her eggs. She lay some giant eggs for a young hen. She was washed in warm water in the vent area, and given an injection. I used local honey and pushed all her insides back in and held it there until I could feel the muscle contract. Marie continues her recovery in the house up the hill. Her sister had the same problem, but I did not make it to her in time. She died on the way to the house. Too much blood loss. Marie is going to be fine though. I am not sue if she will be able to lay again without a re-occurrence.

Patient Five:
Braveheart, the Tom Turkey and his lady friend were "played" with by my dog Tonka. I have no idea why Tonka decided to dig his way into the turkey pen. There are ducks and chickens everywhere! But I caught him in the act. He got in trouble and was shunned for several hours. Tom was plucked and had some broken skin so he got an injection, was blue-koted, and now resides inside the house up the hill with his lady friend. She lost a few feathers, but was more in shock than anything else. The turkeys are doing well, and are visiting all the residents up on the hill. They are so sweet.

Patient Six:
Knuckles, the adopted mixed breed hen was walking on one of her knuckles. Upon further inspection of her foot was wrapped in fishing line, so much so, it was embedded in her leg. We pulled the line out, and she got an injection and a shoe to help promote her foot to lay correctly. She kicks off her shoe and the foot looks like it i back to normal, then it pops back to the knuckle walking. Yesterday I made a shoe of super strength! She still has it on, and i happy as can be hanging out with Marie.

The maternity unit at Crow's Hospital has been busy. Tonight, both Marie's and her sister's eggs are hatching in the incubator. We have a litter of American Tan rabbits and a litter of American Chinchilla rabbits on their way. Hopefully. The American Chinchillas are listed as critically endangered by the ALBC.