All creatures Great and Small

   One day as I lay in bed, home sick, my mom brought me a new book from the library. I must've been in middle school at the time. All Creatures Great and Small was a revelation to me. I knew from its first pages that I wanted to be a veterinarian and I wanted to marry a farmer!
     I eagerly read anything written by James Herriot (his pseudonym)and learned about pre and post war Great Britain, old animal care practices, and how a good story well written was better than any movie or TV show!
   As I got older at some point it occurred to me that I did not need to marry the farmer, I could BE the farmer and that as such I would be doing quite a bit of animal care myself. While I never envisioned castrating poor little goats those descriptions in James' novels of cow delivery complications helped during dog, cat, rabbit, and goat delivery challenges for sure!
   When we first moved to town our animals were lovingly vetted by Dr. Rice and his wife Lucy. He was a retired large animal vet who now ran a small animal practice from his home. He cared for our dogs and cats and always asked about the chickens and rabbits. I would seek his advice about the latter two although he never saw them since that was not his specialty. But he gave me confidence in my abilities and I enjoyed many a conversation about animal care.
   His wife must've always given us the friends and family discount. The first time I met her I had 7 kids and the oldest was 8. We all crowded into her exam room to pick up our lab Angel after she was spayed. But the van died in the vets  driveway so I left the dog in it while walking with all the kids two miles to a pay phone because I was too embarrassed to use their phone (this of course was pre cell phone era). She sent a client out looking for me then called later to check up on me. Over the years she would compliment me on the children's achievements when they made the Carver Reporter and she often asked after the foster children we had.
      Let me tell you the first time I went to another vet it was STICKER SHOCK. I had no idea the kindness the Rice's had shown our animals and my pocketbook.
    When the Rice's retired I sadly went in search of a new vet and settled on Halifax Veterinary clinic. They are excellent there and although I still blink at the price, everything costs money plain and simple. I especially enjoy the lady vet who grew up in Carver and who I heard made farm visits.
   Now that I have the larger livestock I have continued to do my own basic veterinary chores. But it is important to establish a vet relationship because what if something BIG happens? But the crisis with Nikki's short lived pup showed me that Dr Oakham and I could have a good working relationship. She was amazing, skilled, and kind, and she trusted our abilities and that means a lot.
   Any how she came out today to meet the herd and do a basic health check. We originally thought the man vet was coming and I was nervous. What do vets look at while they are checking out your animals? (Turns out they mostly look at their patients, unless a duck happens to walk under their feet during an exam! Really happened.) Would our set up look ok? Is it clean enough? We have always been blessed with healthy animals but still there is an amount of dirt debris that goes along with them.
   Last night I had Don help me trim hooves while I brushed coats and made everyone look lovely. Then of course the torrential rains came and well, picture the mud a herd makes! We cleared a rain proof spot for her and Joe was a tremendous help bringing out one animal at a time for her to look over. Only poor Rosie was skittish and took a bit of wrangling. Everyone else showed off beautifully.
It was great to consult with someone knowledgeable about what to look for, what others in the area do, and what we should watch out for. I even got a compliment on my castrating abilities lolol
   Hopefully we will never need more than a once a year check on how the creatures are doing. But I feel better knowing our little farm passes muster. As she was leaving of course I became a cartoon character trying to shoo the ducks out from under the vet's car. We have a little depression at the top of the driveway that fills with rain and apparently it is paradise for the ducks. We have both a small wadding pool and two fish ponds but they do not match the attraction of the tar dip filled with rain water apparently?
    "Ok it will look bad if the veterinarian kills two little ducks in the driveway,"  she said while laughing as I tried to grab them. "Think of how I would look!"
   Well she looked wonderful to me even if she was laughing at me and my little duck friends.

Bunny shows and bunny happenings

I sweltered at the Brockton Fair bunny show today. We stayed under a large pavilion and there was the faintest of breezes. The fair was not open to the public, and the bunny show is tucked away from the main fairgrounds so the fair itself is neither loud nor intrusive, but it was DARN hot!.
    On the drive over we happily sang along with Chachi and Breakfast with the Beatles. The Beatles guy on the radio is one of Joe's 4H club chicken leaders so we always try to catch him on Sunday mornings if we are heading to a show. Plus of course both Joe and Julie love the Beatles.
    That is correct. Julie is back to showing rabbits, hooray!!! Joe and I both gave her a couple of our Dwarfs while she decides what varieties to show.
    Julie ended up taking Best of Breed in Open with Joe taking Best Opposite Sex of Breed so I was left out in the cold! Plus the baby bunny I had big plans for, turns out to have mismatched toenails grrrrrrr not showable if they remain that way!
  It was so fun being at the show with Julie and Joe however, and I looked forward to a morning of bunny chat with them. It was not to be, alas. A young girl was 'writing' for the judge today, for the first time and she needed help. Now of course I could have said no but it is VERY hard to get good writers, this was a small show, and really the leader running the show has done so much for my kids over the years.
    Writing is always fun because you get an opportunity to see into the mind of the judge as he determines where the rabbits should be placed. Plus you get to meet EVERYONE at the show, and you have the chance to learn about the more obscure breeds.
   Julie was thrilled with her win and Joe and I plotted and planned breeding pairs on the ride home so it was a good day. Then when I got home I was greeted by Lucky, or as Yon calls him Lucky Charms a little scrap of a bunny who is currently living in my bedroom.
   Now you know how special Lucky must be in order even BE in the bedroom given Don's strictures against pets in the boudoir. But even Don did not have the heart to banish him, particularly when we never thought the little bun would survive.
    On the same morning we found out that a coyote family had made dinner out of the poor kindergarten chicks, I went around to the garden to feed the rabbits in the Dwarf Condo. Una had four babies about 6 weeks old with her. In the back sat as yet unnamed Lucky, looking to be in pain. As I reached in I suddenly pulled my hand back in horror. On the bunny's back was clearly a large animal bite. Exposed the back muscles pulsed in pain as the rabbit tried to scoot away from me.
    I hollered to -I cannot even remember who was outside- and as slowly as I could, I pulled the little guy out of the hutch. It was very obvious that something had bitten him. It did not seem possible that his mother or one of his siblings did it. It seemed so obvious a big bite. Could a coyote have leaped up and bit him while he snuggled close to the cage wall? The bunnies in Una's litter were always pushing themselves up to the wire to get patted. They loved to be held and were friendly little creatures. Did a coyote take advantage of that but then found the chicks a much easier game? Who knows.
   Joe mused that perhaps an owl or something swooped down and reached him? Maybe the mother went berserk? Just in case I removed her from her litter but she has remained as sweet and low key as always.
   Tenderly cradling the little bunny I brought him into the house while Don got a tiny carry cage. carefully I rinsed his wound with soap and water. I did not dare put on antibiotic cream since bunnies are scrupulous in their self bathing. I did not want him to poison himself while he licked himself clean!
    We never thought he would live the day much less the evening. I hand fed him bits of hay and tried to coax him to drink water and eat grain. That little thing had a strong will to live and the next morning, even with his back gaping open, he was hopping about trying to reach his food.
    After a week I decided to hold him while getting him a larger cage. The hair below the wound felt like some sort of bumpy elephantiasis was under it and I was horrified that he had some infection. I decided he would be better off in my room away from the kitten who was determined to reach thru the cage and play with him.
   The other night the fur seemed to be moving and in trepidation I took Lucky out of his cage to see what was up. Turns out all the fur and dried blood and scab was sloughing off. Some of the area is still exposed but it all looks clean and healthy. He continues to eat and drink and as I was getting ready for the show this morning he started to rattle his name plate. Looking closer I realized he was out of food! I immediately got him more and he happily hopped to his feeder. He did the same when I got home from the bunny show.
   That little Lucky Charms is sure living up to his name. Our original plan had been to sell him at the Marshfield Fair since his coloring is not one of the varieties we show. But his back is not fully healed and although it should be in a month his hair certainly will not have grown back, if it ever does.
    Plus now he has sort of won my heart with his gallant effort to heal and his sweet personality that he has inherited from his mom. Who knows? Perhaps someone visiting our farm will fall in love with him when they hear of his story and he shall find a new home. If I can part with him. There is something very appealing about a little bunny announcing his need for food. I have found a kindred spirit in his joi'de vivre.