The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

Linda--retirement agrees with you!!
Duck sausage--- that must delicious. One of my all time fav meals was a roasted duck.

I've never had roast duck, but I would like to try, preferably on a duck I don't know, first.
When I was a little kid I walked around the garage carrying the dead ducks crying over them. My mother must have thought I was nuts. Really, I'm just very sensitive. THe years marched on and a friend was working on her masters and had devised an experiment that resulted in all animals going to foster homes at the end of the project. Other than unpacking the mallard from the cartons I did not know the bird; and due to an accident it died in a useful fashion. My friend was staying at "Grams" house and "Gram" prepped and roasted the bird-- her boys hunted gamebirds and she had plenty of experience putting a yummy bird on the table. Definitely easier if you don't know the bird the first few times.

 

[ozexpat]

Thanks for mentioning this oz-- it needed saying and I couldn't come up with a kind way of putting it. BUt you did. Must be the practice you get with people.

its going to be tough to be brave enough to do it but maybe necessary.

pruning shears, wound seal and a big breath

 

[Wisher1000]

I have already been thinking about this. Here's the problem. I think that the dead part covers a bit of the large ends of the bones of the next section. If I cut it off at the break/joint, there could be bone exposed, and no live tissue or skin to cover it. I am not sure that would be better. The next joint is the elbow, which is healthy. I don't know what to do about that. I can do the deed, as long as I know it is best for the bird. I have done shots, and stitches, and drains, and fluids before. I just can't decide that is the best course of action. I was hoping that it would fall off on it's own, or that the lower part would deteriorate more, but it is actually looking better, which means there is at least some blood getting through that bad part.

 

[annewandering]

There is no way to get a vet to do this? The main problem I see is that you can not put the bird to sleep to do the amputation. If they are not asleep they are going to go into shock, I would think. If the tissue is dead past the joint then it has to be a bone cut and if you consider how bones of birds splinter you can see how that is not going to be a good thing. The entire wing could be amputated but surely that is also needing a vet with their meds and tools.

 

[ozexpat]

There is no way to get a vet to do this? The main problem I see is that you can not put the bird to sleep to do the amputation. If they are not asleep they are going to go into shock, I would think. If the tissue is dead past the joint then it has to be a bone cut and if you consider how bones of birds splinter you can see how that is not going to be a good thing. The entire wing could be amputated but surely that is also needing a vet with their meds and tools.

tough subject. my apologies in advance

this is similar to pinioning. its done on all ages birds. I dont profess its painless and I would prefer it not done on me but it remains common practice on birds. If you cut through the bone it will heal better than in the joint. Pull as much healthy skin up past the area you plan to cut so it will slide back down over the bone.

A vet will charge 300+. My birds lifetime deductible is way less. I would cull and replace personally.

Isoflurane, the anesthesia agent of choice in avian medicine is a bit hard to come by.

 

[ozexpat]

 

[gryeyes]

Oz, you continue to enthrall me with the information you share.

 

[ozexpat]

Oz, you continue to enthrall me with the information you share.

I am full of all sorts of useless information - and rarely some that is poignant.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Your boss makes a raspy hissing noise? I don't think I would like working for him.

I always love to see video's, SCG, whether it is of your boss hissing or your boys!

OOOPs... And ha. My boss makes more of an angry loud noise, but I don't think I'd be able to capture that on video.

I am full of all sorts of useless information - and rarely some that is poignant.

I think it might be time for the oral prednisone today. I've got rashes on top of rashes now, and from my mid-hand to my mid-bicep on both sides, plus some on my sides and abdomen. I almost couldn't sleep last night but thanks to Benadryl, I did until 2 am. I'm hoping my boss takes one look at me and rasps for me to go home.

 

[dsqard]

SCG so sorry to hear that the poison ivy is getting to you that bad. Take the prednisone and hopefully feel better.

Wisher maybe keep waiting a little bit to see if the bad part falls off? I would worry about infection getting into the bloodstream though.

All this talk of boo boos makes me think of my turkey hen Edith (the dingbat who has basically been broody all summer). About two weeks ago I noticed one of her eyes slightly swollen shut. I took a look at it and it seemed that it had been pecked and damaged beyond ever seeing out of it. I cleaned it up as best I could and just figured she would lose sight in that eye. Well yesterday when I was out feeding, I noticed the eye opened and healed. I am assuming that it couldn't have been as damaged as I thought at first. Pretty amazing how well they heal on some things.