February | 2013 | jmgoyder

Graduation

by jmgoyder

Yesterday evening I took Gutsy9 outside and picked up the brick I had to use once before to put an injured turkey chick out of its misery.

I had weighed the situation up in my mind (his legs and feet would only get worse, he would be vulnerable to predators and the pecking order), and I had steeled my heart to do the deed.

I put him gently on the ground and raised the brick high so that it would be quick, but then he looked up at me and winked!

I couldn’t do it.

It was Rachel’s suggestion (see comments in last post) that gave me the idea of putting him outside in an upside down cage (a cage with a roof but no floor). That way he can scratch in the grass/dirt with his faulty feet but be protected from attack by the various other birds and animals.

And he will now eat the calcium mixture if I give it to him from my finger. He will still come inside for the night.

Ming and I have decided to give this new idea a week and see how Gutsy9’s legs go. If they improve, we have hope!

In the meantime I guess little Gutsy9, at two months of age, has graduated from my lap to a more normal peacock existence.

Animal Family Friendship Wings

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Difficult decision

by jmgoyder

Before I even took Gutsy9 to the vet today, I did a bit of research and discovered that his feet are slightly splayed, especially one, mostly due to being brought up inside rather than outside. The injury to his toe is insignificant in comparison to the structural damage caused by him mostly walking on a floor instead of grass and dirt.

The vet gave me some calcium mix for Gutsy9 (which of course he won’t eat!) but she and her consultant seemed to think his legs might never be normal. The photo I posted of Gutsy9 on the table was taken a few weeks ago. Since then, all of his toes have gradually become crooked and one leg goes backwards instead of forwards. It is possible, that he was born with a defect but I don’t know.

What I do know, however, is that he is unlikely to ever be able to survive outside. I took him out for 3 hours this afternoon and, if I hadn’t been watching, he would have been pecked to death by the adult peas and the gang, he would have drowned in the pond, or he would have been taken by a crow.

He is sitting on my lap now, nearly asleep, but cheeping more than usual. His legs don’t seem strong enough to hold his growing body and I am worried that he might be in pain.

Ming and I will decide tomorrow. I think we will have to put Gutsy9 down.

Animal Wings

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Peachick physiotherapy

by jmgoyder

Gutsy9 adores scrambling around in the dirt – best thing he can do for his feet. Yeeha!

Animal Friendship Wings

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Peachick problems

by jmgoyder

I am a bit worried about Gutsy9’s feet. I accidentally injured one of his toes when I first rescued him (i.e. he ran at my desk chair as I was rolling it back, so one of the little wheels mashed one of his toes. Okay, so that is all healed now but, because he is inside the back veranda for most of the time (a back veranda that has now become peachick poop paradise), he is not getting the normal dirt/grass traction for his feet to develop. I take him outside every afternoon so that he can interact with the others but they still peck at him and he runs to me.

Once he is big enough to fly up into the trees at night, I think the other peas will accept him. I hope so.

In the meantime, I will take him to the vet to get his feet checked. I will do this tomorrow.

Animal Family Friendship Wings

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Negative comments

by jmgoyder

In over a year, and hundreds of posts, I have been fortunate not to have received any negative comments on the blog. Until today.

The negative comment was uttered in response to my post about ‘doing the right thing’ yesterday.

It was personal, exclamatory and gave me a bit of a shock because I am so fond of this person.

Strangely, I welcomed the comment (better to get a negative comment from a friend rather than a stranger I guess), and, instead of deleting it, I decided to respond and make both comments public.

This has made me very curious about how other bloggers respond to negative comments. Do tell!

blogging Family Friendship

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Party fizzog

by jmgoyder

Oh well!

Due to a combination of things (Ants is having digestive issues, the nursing lodge is experiencing a mild flu outbreak, and it is another extremely hot day), I spent most of the morning ringing the people I’d invited to say the party was off. After all that last-minute planning and stressing, I have to admit I was rather relieved – ha!

Instead, Ming and I went in see Ants. We we will get him home tomorrow, which is his actual birthday.

It was still a good day and we took some photos of Ming’s new ute!

Family Friendship LOVE STORY

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Doing ‘the right thing’ dilemmas

by jmgoyder

I was brought up well-versed in the art of turning the other cheek and, in principle, this is a rather useful art.

However, I think there comes a point where your cheeks become too raw and swollen and you know you have to stop the hands that keep slapping you.

When Anthony and I announced our engagement, nearly 20 years ago, it was met with various kinds of shock. We knew there might be shock; after all, he was a bachelor in his late 50s and I had just entered my 30s.

Almost without exception, our friends and family expressed delighted shock, but there were two people who didn’t and, even at our wedding, would not speak to us. Ants and I didn’t care at the time because we were on a newlywed high!

But, once the honeymoon was over, I had to learn, in increments, how to deal with these two people. Their bullying behaviour astounded me! It went on and on, year after year, even when Ants became so ill.

But it’s Anthony’s birthday party tomorrow and, as always, he said, “Do the right thing, Jules.”

So I made the phonecall and invited them. Just doing the right thing – ha!

Family Friendship LOVE STORY

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