Day 269 of 365
It’s Thursday, so I have much grading. Still, I am making time to be a chicken doctor tonight–not for me but for a friend. She is also an academic and a chicken keeper. She shared her chicken’s symptoms with me, and I asked her a bunch of questions. As an academic, she knew exactly what I was doing and answered all of my questions thoroughly, except for when she didn’t know, which she made clear.
I have tried to help strangers who have asked for help with chickens before, and, in general, they seem to get frustrated with all of my questions. Of course, questions are necessary to make a potential diagnosis, but I find that people want quick answers. Things are always much more complex–in chickens and in life, right?
Anyway, I had to chuckle at myself as I finished up my last response, asking her to look at the poop identification chart I sent her and to get back to me later. I was like, “oh, look at me acting like I’m a real chicken doctor.” I have to tell you this though. I took ducks to the vet twice. Both times, I knew as much or more than the vet. This caused me great worry because I certainly do not know nearly enough.
I am actually a doctor. Not a “real” doctor, as some members of my family used to point out, but I have a PhD. So maybe I can be an internet chicken doctor sometimes.
PS I read that the wind chill is going to be -45 degrees Fahrenheit here tomorrow. I am getting pretty worried about the chickens and ducks. I think the chickens will be okay, I think. I am pretty worried about the ducks though. I am going to have to feed and water them by hand in the duck house, and they are so skittish. I hope they’ll eat or at least drink. I have been practicing with their peas at night, holding the bowl, touching them as much as they will allow. I knew this might be coming. Yeah, I’m a bit worried. I have been really out of sorts all week, and I think it’s from worry about the temperatures the next couple of days. I’ve never experienced that level of cold. I grew up in Texas.
Farmer-ish 