Well the storm and flooding yesterday caused poor Daisy to get injured. It was pouring rain and I was looking for her and Ivory to put them up. A loud crack of thunder sounded overhead and she screamed and ran out. The ducks, Daisy and Ivory were under some tree branches we had just cut as a safety precaution, they were dead and we didn't want them breaking. She somehow managed to cut the tip of middle toe on her left foot and has a small cut over her left eye. I think she cut it on the tree branches she was foraging in when the thunder scared her. She is doing fine, cleaned her foot and face and applied some Blu-kote, both to prevent infection and keep the chickens from pecking her. We are under flood watch so the waterfowl are bunking with the chickens this week. Daisy managed to smear the Blu-kote all over her face and on her left wing. She looks like she is wearing a purple mask, lol. She is doing fine, still "breeding" or dominating Ivory, foraging for food (my mom gave her some squash that she loved!), and she is not showing signs of pain. No limping or anything, the cuts themselves are small. My biggest concern is chicken pecking and her walking in poo. Her foot gets cleaned 2X a day to minimize the risk of infection and I have some antibiotic on hand just in case.
1 of the geese also got a minor injury from the craziness yesterday. When the thunder sounded all the geese took off zooming in fear, the smallest Chinese got trampled by its flock mates and has a pulled muscle. I really wish that the weather channels could tell us these things before it happens. Most of the time I get a bad feeling and take precautions before the alerts come through. Yesterday we were forecast cloudy but no rain till 4PM, so I let the flock out, intending to put everyone up at 3PM. We got hit hard at 11AM and parts of my yard were flooded in less than 30 minutes. I am very glad my house is on top of a small incline and is a post and beam foundation. I had also let the chickens out and Screwball led us a very long chase through the downpour and puddles. He was the very last bird to be put up, and he looked so pathetic soaked, like a drowned rat. Today only the waterfowl are allowed out, they are much easier to put away and can take a small wetting. Plus I want Daisy and Maybel (the injured goose) out of the chicken coop for a bit so they don't get pecked on. The coop is fine for overnighting everyone, but they can't all be shut in there for days on end, and we are supposed to get scattered storms all week, because of the storm in the Gulf. My poor chickens willbe shut up as long as we have storms rolling through.
My gosling, Gertrude, who has perosis is responding to the vitamins and minerals. Her foot isn't turning inwards anymore. She is still limping though, so I will continue to give her the supplement. I just don't know how much is correct for a young gosling. I am giving 2 cc a day of a poultry vitamin, the directions say 1-3cc for adult chickens. I give Gertrude 1cc in the morning and 1cc at night before bed. Also gave 1cc to Ebony, Daisy, and Maybel, hoping it will speed their healing.
Ebony is continuing to improve, she is feeling pretty good and really really wants to get out and forage. I would let her but for the rain. If I have to round everyone up in a downpour I don't want her getting trampled, Maybel is much bigger than Ebony and had no injured and still was trampled, so i wont risk it. When the storm in the Gulf stops sending bad weather this way I will let Ebony out to free range again. She still limps, but the limp is less sever and she has a strange limping run now when she sees her food coming! When she sees me come for swim therapy she smiles at me, lol. Very cute, spoiled duck!
The rain has nearly destroyed my garden, the corn that survived the last storm, is all flopped over. The squash is rotting on the vine, the tomatoes are being held up by their cages, but aren't looking good. The carrots are drowned. My roses have black spot, rust, and leaf blight from no sunlight for the past few days. About the only thing that's looking good is the grass, it's lush and green and the birds are loving it.
Sorry for not being on yesterday and for the really long post. Due to weather I may be off more than usual.
