It's been 3 weeks now & I think Miss Ginny the Guinea is going to live! Something attacked her whilst sleeping on her nest. I usually try to make sure she is in a tree but was busy that evening & forgot. I went running out there as soon as I heard her screeching but all I could find was a pile of feathers. Looked, looked & looked somemore but couldn't find her body. Not unusual cause we live in the woods. Anyways the next afternoon I was in the storage part of the barn for something & saw a movement. It was Ginny, soaking wet (rained all night & morning). All the feathers on her back were gone, her little tail looked like a chicken in the store..As I examined her I was shocked, most of the skin on her back was gone, huge holes, I could hear air coming out holes in her side when she struggled. She had the energy to squawk though. So I took her in the house & put her in a box. Got the dog kennel, it's fairly large for an aussie & got it ready. Then went to the feedstore & got terramycin for cattle, poultry & amazingly bees! & bluecote wound stuff. Put her in a towel, tried to dress the wounds, took 20 minutes to pick the vinca leaves out of the meat & from under the skin on her back..whatever was eating her alive! She has big chunks missing. She was getting stressed, no wonder so quickly put on Blue Lotion, made sure she had the water/antibiotics, food & put her in the box with a little prayer. She didn't move much for a week but ate & drank. I put the antiseptic on every other day.**.warning**,a half dead Guinea can fight & Blue Lotion doesn't come out of clothes or your skin! The second week she was moving about the crate, looking @ whatever I put in there. She loves the mash I make for my cockatiels. Yesterday Amanda & I got the chain link 5x5 dog pen ready..put 2 layers of chix wire under it, wrapping it up & attaching it to the sides...wiring all loose points down. Put a slab of plywood on the top for the rain & shade. Brought her out in the kennel, put it in & out she came. She was making those cute little noises they make, so happy to be back outside, although upset being confined. I locked her in the plastic kennel in the dog pen for the night cause she is still weak & not perching right. Today she has been toddling around the pen, picking & eating grass making happy little noises. We did put another coat of antiseptic on her before letting her loose in there. Amanda now knows 1st hand that Ginny can fling the stuff onto your neck & clothes. I told her she can tell her boss it's a "Buckley hickey" Ginny still isn't completely out of the woods yet, the wounds were horrific so infection is still a possibility & she limps a little. Don't know if she will ever get feathers on her back but some are starting to grow on her tail. She is such a cool little thing so ugly she is cute. Better get out & make sure she went into the plastic kennel for the night. This is why I didn't realize the bees were starving. Saw a bunch by the hives but Ginny had been in the house so I thought it was just that she wasn't outside to eat the dead ones, well until there were masses & some were still moving
Animals are amazing at what they can handle & survive! Jody
