Friday, July 18, 2008

This has nothing to do with donkeys.......................BUT...........this has to be the funniest flyer ever posted. As someone that lived in the midwest when I was growing up, & having an uncle that was always trapping, catching or observing wildlife, I am very familiar with possums. I have a couple of questions about this whole situation.......# 1, how did they catch it? # 2, who did the checking to find out it is a male? Yes, they will play dead (and will growl the whole time) ........BUT........ if they aren't playing dead, they can be a formidable opponent.

Recently I have noticed signs of a mouse being in the feed room. Considering that there are 2 dogs using the feed room as their home, you would think a mouse wouldn't have a chance. I finally decided they weren't going to do their job, so set a live trap last night. Sure enough this morning there was a very active, bright eyed, chubby little mouse leaping around in there like a Mexican jumping bean. (Do they still have those?) I asked John how far I had to haul her, so she wouldn't beat me back to the feed room. I was going to take her over on Burroland, but there isn't any water over there. (I know, I know, it's a desert mouse.) Then I thought of the chicken pen, but chickens can really be hard on mice, especially when one gets on one end of the mouse, & one gets on the other & they play wishbone.........!!! YUCK! So I compromised, I put her in a brush pile, close to the chicken pens. If she waits until after dark, she can run around at will in the chicken pens, until the resident snake gets hungry.

Everyone seems to be doing good right now. Chester is still limping & we're still giving him antibiotics, but that's OK. He doesn't even have to be in the squeeze now, because he knows he gets ginger snaps anyway.

All this rain is making feet grow fast I guess. One day Max the horse was running around with what looked like a complete frog he sloughed off, flopping around. By the time we got thru feeding he had gotten rid of it, thank goodness. He has nerve damage because of his broken neck. The last time one of his rear legs was picked up about 5 or 6 years ago, he sent a farrier all the way across the pen. He is well trained & I think when the the guy picked the leg up & put it into position, it pinched a nerve. So I'd rather not have to pick up a foot if I don't have to. He self trims, like most of our guys do, but I've noticed some flaring of the hooves on some of the ones that don't move around a lot. Even Tula has a big chunk missing out of the side of one hoof, which surprised me. She probably moves around more than any of the others, & I would think she would keep her feet nice & short all the time.

6 comments:

Laura Lee said...

Dear Tish,
Embarrassing but true! Before moving to Arizona, I was taking a walk in the 'city' one evening (without my glasses on)when I happened to spy this lovely grey cat sitting on a post outside the range of the streetlights."What a pretty pussycat" said I,gently stroking the odd-feeling fur...
After squinting for a few minutes my vision registered that what I was stroking was an injured possum!
By the way, they love potato soup and cheese puffs...
Laura

Tish said...

I think they will eat just about anything, they are one of nature's scavengers. Did you help the injured possum?

Never got those e-mails.

Laura Lee said...

Tish,
Yes, I did help the injured possum! Took him (?)home, gave him a little blanket, fed him the only thing in the cupboard(the potato soup & cheese puffs.We ate together!),and cheked on him during the night. The next morning I found the phone number of the local wildlife officer. He arrived, and reassured me that Byron (yeah,I named him) would be treated, then let back into the wild. That was my first experience with a possum :)
Laura Lee

Tish said...

Somehow I figured you did.......!! (G)

Still haven't seen those e-mails.............!!! You said one was a long one, now you have my curiosity up.
Tish

KatRatVet said...

Hey, that's my cat that ran away last week!

Tish said...

Here, Kitty, Kitty..............!!!! (G)