AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[BarredBuff]

Sounds like you have a busy day ahead!!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yay sounds like BP might just make it! great work fixing him up!

 

[glenolam]

Glad to hear Poppy's doing better! Good luck on incubating!

 

[savingdogs]

Well if he is alive and making improvements that sounds good I think. After all, if we had a horrible injury like that we might not feel like getting up or swallowing either, just because of soreness. If he has improved on eating and moving his neck, it could be that the healing just needs to take more time. I'm really encouraged for him!

 

[AL]

Quick update on today (other than causing a puke-fest over at OFG's place)

- Poppy is still standing / holding his head up, squawking occasionally. I think either it hurts to swallow or he has something neurologically wrong. As long as he eats, even slowly, I'll work with him.

- put 150lbs of horse feed away, here's hoping Buddy doesn't get it. Next week I will buy a cattle panel to block off the area instead of just propping up boards for an Olympic style obstacle course

- heading to meet Mr Old Neighbor for the incubator (Pat is back with the flock now that Poppy is missing....)

- wire and stakes waiting for me to do my potato cages; also hope to till in a spot for my onions

- tomato seedlings in my bedroom window; bedroom door shut to keep out cats

- creepy meat in the oven at my mom's house, no idea what she is cooking up

 

[glenolam]

Nothing's better than mystery meat!

 

[AL]

It was creepy chicken meat from the cornishx I raised this past fall. It was great!

I accomplished 3 potato baskets /cages and that used up my red potatoes. I have to get some more chicken wire to get my yukon golds in the ground.
The compost pile is refreshed with straw from the chicken house and..... stuff.... from the old meatie run. Whenever it got muddy I would scrape it out some and put new litter in, so there was a thick layer of awesome composted chicken manure and litter /straw.

Finished Buddy's tie-out. He was not impressed but was relatively quiet for probably 20-30 minutes. When he stood quietly for 2-3 minutes consistent I let him off and led him a lap around the pasture.

Horse people - he has decided he doesn't want to be brushed. I can groom him from the face to his flank and then he starts turning. If I try to brush his tail he kicks - double barrel, cave in your head kind of kicking. I was thinking of a hobble I saw an old farrier do one time - tie him to his post, then run a rope from halter to raised foreleg to hind leg (he snared the hind leg).
Even better I was considering waiting - once I get the ownership papers I am shipping him off for a couple of weeks of ground training with a professional trainer. I just hate to send a horse with attitude.
I have been able to break him from biting me and kicking in play, but this is serious stuff, not playful tag.


Poppy ate half a boiled egg mashed up by himself. I held him in my lap and held up the plate with the egg, but he did all the work. He drank some, but I still used a syringe to be sure he gets some fluids. He has gotten to where when I put the syringe to his beak if he wants water he will crack his mouth open and let me shoot some in - doesn't fight me. I dissolved Vit B in one lid of water, he has plain water, and now I have a dish with "Kickin' Chicken" nutrient stuff... but I am not using much of that since I am not good at judging his weight.


Mr ON called and said he will meet me in the morning with the incubator, he "had to take the wife to town"
He told me yesterday , when I was talking about giving Poppy sugar water .. "I told my daughter I don't know what to think of you - a city girl that knows more about farming than I do". I assured him I have tons to learn from him, I think it made him feel good. He said he'd get with me in a couple of weeks and talk to me about how to set up my garden.

 

[Denim Deb]

AL, do you have a round pen? If so, you DON'T need to send him away to have someone work w/him on his manners. I can help you w/that if you're interested, and the price is right-free! You can also do it w/out the RP, but it's not as easy.

 

[AL]

no.. no round pen. I have a small paddock that is kind of like a fat triangle with the top 3rd cut off (didn't do well in geometry ). Other than that it is open field and his tie out post up near the garden so I can supervise him while I work.

 

[Denim Deb]

How big is your small field? If you have something to round off the corners, it will work as long as it's not too small nor too big.