Surviving Minnesota!

[holm25]

Hope you get better soon Holm.

Thanks Erli

Holm - this concerns me. You are not often feeling under the weather and there has been some nasty stuff going around. Please keep us updated on how you are feeling.

I am never sick. Never ever ever. But my whole family has been sick lately... My sister and youngest brother went to Brainerd to help me babysit my cousins and they ended up getting sick and while we were gone my dad was sick. Then yesterday morning I didnt feel good at all but I do feel a littke better today... But my whole body is still hurting.

...

Hope you get better!
My guess is herpacifalitis. I had it last week

.
A made up disease my class made for anything from a cough to A fever.[/quot

Thanks Layers

 

[holm25]

Holm are you suffering from vodkaitis??

I dont think thats it!

 

[holm25]

They start them young in MN, eh?

 

[holm25]

You are very close to correct, however the toad says it was self defense. I am trying to finish up my rapid whole blood test for the state. I am about 2 weeks behind due to weather, injuries and procrastination. I had left the toads to close to the end. The process of taking a sample is pretty straight forward. I have to put identifying leg bands on the bird, flip it over on its back holding it down with one hand while plucking the feathers out from under it's arm (wing). Then locate a blood vein and stick the bird with a needle and get a drop of blood. Then transfer the blood to the test plate and mix with a reagent. I was on Chicken number 106. Better known as Bert's kid. I wish there was a way for you guys to all understand just how huge a toad is. Without seeing and lifting one it is hard to comprehend a chicken as big as a turkey in body size. They are squatter than a turkey with legs 3 times as thick. They are generally friendly birds without a mean bone in their bodies. However, that can change when you try to tip them over, lay them on their backs and pull the feathers out from under their arms. I assume this would be about the same as someone flipping me over and pulling the hair out from under my armpits. I would probably resist a little too. Well, 106 was not happy with the whole idea. In addition to trying to hold him down finding a blood vein on a toad is hard to do. They are not like a layer where the vein just sits there for you to see. I know where the vein should be. I just could not see it. The toad was getting upset after about 15 repeated attempts to blindly hit the vein. Again to better understand this imagine having a blind lab tech Freshly out of school with no experience draw blood from your arm. I decided I had injured the left wing enough and went to flip hm around and pull the feathers off his right wing while searching for the vein. Number 106 was not happy with this new attempt. Now in retrospect I might have made a minor error. I had just put a new needle on the sticker (technical term for the blood drawing thingy). I could not find a decent vein, My wife, the nurse, was helping me. She was not holding the bird she was pulling feathers and trying to see if she could see a vein. (So now the Toad has two people pulling the "hair" out from under his arm) He had a frown on his face mixed with a grimace. I needed to get a better look so, (here comes the error) I laid the needle/sticker thingy down on top of the toads wing (the far end)...... And was searching and pulling feathers like a mad man, thinking where else can I find a blood vein. When the toad decided enough is enough. He flipped the end of his wing up, at an incredibly fast speed. The needle thing being far out on the wing tip was launched like an atlatl. It flew about 9 inches straight up and through my finger. I remember looking at the top inch or so of the needle sticking out the top of my finger. Thinking this is not right, followed by intense pain. I pulled the needle out, but being single minded found a vein and stabbed the toad! I got my blood and carried the toad back to his pen. By then my finger was starting to turn an interesting shade of purple/blue. I thought I should call the state poultry lab and see if I have to worry about any side effects of being stabbed with a dirty needle. In my former life being stabbed with a dirty needle was not a good thing and an immediate trip to the ER. The lab just laughed when I told them a toad stabbed me. They had never heard of anyone being stabbed by a toad before. She even said " tell me again how this happened" I know she had me on speaker phone as I heard someone giggling in the background. She told me she is just a lab tech and I should talk to Dr Voss. Dr Voss is Veterinarian with a master degree in Public health. (She is a real genius) She laughed when I told her the toad stabbed me too. BUT she at least control the laughter enough to tell me "Luckily with chickens A human cannot catch a herpes or aids from a dirty chicken needle." She did say I should go to the urgent care and get a prescription for antibiotic and a tetanus shot if mine is out of date. I am pretty sure mine is out of date, I think I had one in Junior high. I went to the urgent care, I had to fill out a form on what happened. The receptionist said "we do not do needle stick here" I said "it was not a human needle but a chicken needle"... I could see somewhere in her mind she was confused, however she seemed to be the kind of person that would get confused counting the proper change when paying with a dollar bill for a 99 cent candy bar. She went and asked the Dr. I heard the Dr say " a what?" The Dr came out and asked if it was a new needle or had been used on a chicken" She had that smile that says " this guy is an idiot" I know the smile I had just used it on the receptionist. She said I needed to go to the ER. That ain't gonna happen. I refuse to go twice in one month to the ER! I reasoned to Judy the needle was almost new. it was not like a rusty nail so the tetanus shot is not needed. Also I can't get AIDS from the chicken so lets go home. Of course, all the way home I received a lecture on going to the Dr, and how she was going to get me an appointment today to see one. (bet I miss the appointment)... Anyways that is the story of how I got stabbed by a toad... And why I cannot sleep right now, my headaches and my finger is throbbing. I still have more chickens to test today too... At the rate these accidents are happening I will never make 90. let alone 100 like EJB did. This is how my fingers looked after the incident: Judy claims I am exaggerating, but we all know how she lies.

Yikes Ralphie. I guess if I were the Toad I would have done the same thing. Have fun at your doctors appointment. Hopefully you dont need any dumb shots. They freak me out...

 

[Siggie]

morning folks....rainy and gloomy here - this is becoming the norm UGH! Gonna be cold and nasty weather all week. When I get home today I am going to let the chicks run free in the coop. Both broodies are doing a good job of protecting the chicks so wish them luck that the rest of the flock feels the same and doesn't try to eat them! I will replace the cage at night but momma #1 is getting really restless. I think she wants to get outside again.

@duluthralphie as always - you are entertaining if nothing else

@holm25 hope you feel better, I am back at work today but my stomach is still doing it's cartwheels so I feel your pain

 

[holm25]

Some pics of my EEs from Ralphie. They have all turned into such beautiful birds! The blue Barred Cockerel is getting reall chunky and is so nice! I can tell Ralphie spent extra time cuddling his egg. The two red EE cockerels hate me and run when they see me. But the two pullets are sweethearts

 

[BantyChooks]

Holm, the last one wants to murder you... I can tell.
Pretty sure Ralphie drew a semi-automatic on that one's egg.

 

[holm25]

@Siggie Thank you! I am glad you are feeling better. It sounds like we had something very similar

 

[holm25]

Holm, the last one wants to murder you... I can tell.
Pretty sure Ralphie drew a semi-automatic on that one's egg.

She does look like she is giving me the stink eye

 

[Bogtown Chick]

A Fun little video of a chicken flying.

http://aviationhumor.net/farmer-finally-fulfills-chickens-dream-of-flying/