Health Check ‘Check-in’ – Birds and our Big Heads
/In our final edition of our Health Check series, we’re going to take you through the health checks we provide for our biggest and our smallest residents.
But first…let’s talk about keeping track of each resident’s health
When it comes to the health of our residents, we are detailed, buttoned-down, and frankly meticulous about record keeping. With so many incredible volunteers and amazing animal caregivers working together to take care of our residents, it is critical that each person has access to the most accurate and up-to-date health information at all times, and that information is shared in “real time”.
And, if we ever need to check on anyone’s heath history, we have records on each resident since their arrival date!
All health-related information is recorded and stored both electronically and in hard copy, including all medications, treatments, and any conditions that must be checked at specified times.
We hold regular weekly caregiver meetings and we maintain a private social media group where caregivers and our Board of Directors are notified about changes in medication, changes in feed amounts, upcoming events like medical appointments, incidents between residents, and any other information required to ensure the highest level of care.
Health checks…check! Our smallest friends . . . the birds
Unlike some of our other resident groups, our bird group varies greatly – from our biggest bird, Cornelius, weighing in at 25 pounds , to our smallest friend, Heidi, weighing only 11 ounces. Regardless of size, each of our feathered friends gets a full examination from beak to toe every six weeks. Each of our birds is closely observed both in their coop and outdoors to get a complete picture of anything that might be abnormal such as sneezing, coughing, or lethargy.
During their health checks, each of our feathered friends gets their nails trimmed, their weight recorded, and a full examination of their:
Eyes
Ears
Feather condition
Legs/feet and joints
Beak, mouth and nares (nostril, or holes in their beaks)
Keel (an extension of the breastbone)
Each resident is also checked for lumps and sores, as well as for external parasites. We check the bellies of our hens and note any abnormalities which could indicate a reproductive disease, and ever few months we track their resting temperature, heart rate, and respiration.
Outside of daily observations and thorough health checks, we also check daily for eggs. A hen’s eggs can tell us a lot about her health. If we are seeing a misshapen egg, we figure out who laid it and treat her for the health condition that caused the malformed egg. You can read more about our hens and their eggs in the Hog Blog post, For the Birds.
And, we keep a close eye on their feces, regularly testing for parasites or anything else out of the ordinary. That’s right…their poop can tell us a whole lot about their overall health!
Health Check…Check! Our biggest residents the “Big Heads”
Our current group of “big heads” include: BJ, Escalade, Jasmine, Pouty Face and Sir Denver. We call him “Sir” for many reasons, not of the least of which is because he weighs in at approximately 2,000 pounds! While we can’t actually weigh all of these magnificent animals because of their size, their weight is estimated when they visit the vet and by using a weight tape. We do have a big scale in the main barn, but only BJ, being the smallest, is able to be accurately weighed there.
In addition to our daily observations, every Sunday our big heads get their weekly comprehensive health check. During this time, a HEEFS caregiver will look the resident over and feel (when we can) around for any injuries, symptoms of illness, or changes in their body condition.
During our big head’s regular health checks, our animal caregivers will:
Look at each resident’s…
Eyes, nose, mouth and teeth, anus/vulva or penis, skin, and hooves
Feel each resident’s…
Body, legs, feet, teets or udder
Listen to each resident’s…
Stomach, on both sides, and take fecal samples when needed
And, once a year our big heads are have their temperature, heart rate, and respiration recorded and they receive their annual vaccinations.
Helping our residents feel more secure
Sometimes, one of our big heads needs to be closely examined by our vet, or may require special treatment by one of our caregivers. That’s when we use a device called a “squeeze”. In 2018 we were able to purchase this important piece of equipment, second hand, thanks to the very generous donations we receive from all of you. The squeeze provides a secure structure for the resident to feel safe while allowing an exam or treatment to happen without risk of the animal moving and injuring themselves or the caregiver.
Jasmine and the squeeze
Recently the squeeze was put to very good use to help one of our cows, Jasmine. During a regular hoof trim for Jasmine, an abscess was found in her back, right hoof. Part of her treatment was to soak her hoof every day for 15-20 minutes in medicated warm water. By being able to secure Jasmine in the squeeze, we were able to perform the soaking process in the fastest and most effective way possible and to ensure that Jasmine felt calm during her hoof treatments. Unfortunately, the abscess required more treatment that we could provide, so Jasmine has been at OVC for a few weeks now getting the specialized treatment she needs. We are very happy to report that she is doing very well, and she is expected to return home soon and be reunited with her family, Sir Denver, Pouty Face, BJ, and Escalade.
