Snatched from the jaws... now my feet are bleeding.

[Windy Ridge]

I suppose it could have had rabies? Luckily, though, birds are not susceptible to it--only mammals.

Although, she certainly would have been susceptible to the rabid-chicken-eating bobcat in a different way, had not a maniac come screaming down the mountain.

Still, if it had been rabid, I would think it wouldn't have run away from me. I haven't much experience with rabid animals, thankfully.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

All i can say is *Wow!*

You rock!

 

[birdy_num_nums]

What an awesome story, Windy! Brought tears to my eyes just picturing it all, the relief Evelyn must have felt seeing you coming to her rescue!!

Thank you for sharing, I'll be smiling all day

Hope your wounds (and Evelyn's!) heal quickly.

 

[crtrlovr]

A friend of mine had a similar experience with their little poodle. Bud had let Bridget out for her "morning constitutional" while Karen was getting ready for church. Bud came back in ghostly white and told Karen "Bridget's gone". She said, "what do you mean, 'gone'?" He said "A coyote just grabbed her and ran with her". Karen went running outside in her nightgown, barefoot, across a plowed cornfield & caught up with the coyote just as it reached a deep dry creekbed. Karen screamed "DROP IT!" and to her sheer amazement, the coyote dropped the poodle and ran through the creekbed and up the other side, disappearing into the woods. Bridget was scared half to death, but without even a break in the skin. She lived several years after that escape from death... I hope your Evelyn lives a long and healthy life.

 

[Windy Ridge]

I love that story, crtrlovr. She was probably braver than I was, though... she knew what she was chasing! I just sort of blindly charged.

I laughed as I read that story, though, because I glanced at birdy_num_nums' cool avatar, and (small as it is) it looked a bit like a woman in a nightgown, and I could imagine she was the one chasing down her poodle in the jaws of a coyote.

Evelyn still seems fine. I hate keeping her separated in the hospital coop, but it's the best way to administer the course of antibiotics. A week seems like a long time to spend in solitary. I brought a little friend for her to keep her company, today, seeing as how she doesn't seem to be in danger of imminent collapse and I don't see anything that I think would start any pecking.

I had a hen once that had escaped some predator (on her own that time!). I looked her over and didn't find any marks, so I kissed her and returned her to the flock. She died two weeks later or so of what I think may have been an infection from some unseen scrape or puncture wound. It could have been unconnected. Heart trouble--something like that--but that seems unlikely. I've always felt terrible that I must have missed something, so I'm prepared to be overcautious now with the administration of antibiotics and confinement to the hospital coop. However, I'd love the ending to my story to be similar to the poodle's: that she lives happily for years afterward.

I will say that all weekend I've been running outside to check to make sure everything is okay everytime I hear something as innocent as the I-laid-an-egg announcement. The guy from the DNR, unsurprisingly, has not returned my call, yet. We've had terrible problems in the past trying to get them to return calls. I think we must live in an "outlying" area he doesn't want to bother with.

 

[TanksHill]

Congrat's on the save. I hope you all recover well. My sis in law once pulled oneof her hens from the mouth of a coyote. Took it inside and stitched it's rear back together. It lived on. All those years of nursing school sure came in handy. Gina

 

[tunaoftheland]

Wow, that's amazing. I've had a cat drop it's meal (baby bunny) and bolt when I came screaming at it, but a bobcat?? Wow. Definitely good going on that one. It probably thought you wanted to eat it yourself or something, maybe that's why it dropped her?

We've had a couple rabid raccoons and skunks in our area over the years and they do not run away, and depending how far they're gone they'll chase you, so hopefully it was just hungry during the day time. Woohoo for adrenaline

 

[thewarriorchild]

Wow that was awesome!! Do you think she thought "Oh! Great here comes my help!! then...Where is that rooster??" LOL

I hope you both feel better!

 

[Malbri]

Ive done similar, chasing a fox barefoot, lacrosse stick in one hand, pepper spray in the other.

 

[pips&peeps]

I hereby deputize you in the name of the Ameraucana Police.....