I have a new injury, around here I get them a lot. Ever since we moved in, I have been busy doing things I have never done before. When we were trying to get the house ready to move into we mostly just worked our butts off, cleaning and making repairs to the walls, caulking and painting...things like that. We both got to the point we could barely walk and we would go back to the house in Dallas. I cut my finger pretty badly one day while my husband went to go get some things from the store I had to ask him to get bandaging material and butterfly bandages. I was using a carpet knife to remove old caulk around a window...I hit a nail and the knife twisted and caught the top of my index finger. I probably could have used a few stitches, but was able to stop the bleeding and put the butterfly bandages on and it healed up pretty good, it took awhile for my fingernail to grow out, but it did. Most of my injuries now are animal related. Just that cut and backing into sheet metal when wind caught some plywood and it fell on me cutting my elbow...on that one, I did go get 7 stitches or something...and a tetanus shot, my husband had to come home to take me to the doctor...I thought if I could get them to stitch me up I wouldn't have to go to the emergency room.
I have learned it is good to wear long sleeves, heavy jeans, boots and gloves...even that is not enough protection sometimes. I have been beaten with goose wings...and turkey wings...turkeys are stronger it seems, either that or more determined. I am pretty stubborn and if it takes me awhile to catch one...I don't want them to get loose again. I am getting better at pinning wings and soothing the big birds...I am surprised they have not broken my nose or blackened an eye. I have been raked by claws a few times though, they have very big feet and I am thankful that most of their claws are worn somewhat round and are not as sharp as they were in the beginning...so I mostly get bruises instead of cuts from them. My turkeys have started pulling my hair, I have already cut it pretty short and wear a bandana a lot of the time. I have been pecked on the head several times and they have snatched my glasses off several times too. I had to get one of those sports bands that hold your glasses on. One of the girl turkeys snatched an earring out of my ear too...not good when you have pierced ears.
Lately my injuries have been either bites from startled roosters that leave cuts and bruises on me...usually a hand or forearm. My partially blind chickens, if I reach in and scare them they will grab ahold of me. Buddy Chicken got me pretty good on the top of my arm a few weeks ago. A few days ago, I reached down and grabbed a hold of a rooster that was making one of my smaller hens scream...there were others yanking on her comb and neck feathers, I grabbed the one on top of her and another one got ahold of my thumb at the joint to my hand...it would not let go. I have a cut, a knot under the cut...and a bruise an inch and a half across...it was very tender the first few days, but the swelling has gone down...it looks a little like a target now, the scab in the middle, a ring of pink, almost normal skin, then a ring of green bruise. I usually run around with several bruises these days. I have the one on my thumb, a bruise on the top of my foot from, I think our dog stepping on my bare foot, and I noticed I have a few small bruises on my forearm, probably from catching turkeys. I guess I might have gotten them from construction...maybe? Some of our chickens will jump up on my arm when I go out to feed them, so far they haven't made me drop the bucket but they really like jumping on the scoop with scratch grains, they start eating it as soon as they do. I have had a turkey jump on my shoulder too...not so bad when they are smaller, but when one of our females was in my lap and a male came over, she jumped to my shoulder, the male jumped in my lap...and then she got on my head! I guess I didn't expect to look like a fighter most the time, between the bruises and the ant and bug bites I just look a mess most of the time.
I just never know what surprises my day will bring.
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