big Bear has the bug

   / big Bear has the bug #1  

itsmecindi

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Oh crap. Fred and I went out to put out hay last night, and Bear met us at the fence, coughing, a streamer of snot a foot long hanging from his face. He's got the penumonia. This is my nightmare come true. Giving shots to the sows is one thing, but the boars. Yikes.

I won't do it. Fred thinks I'm a sissy and says so, but it ain't happenin'. I'm sorry, I don't run fast enough, and my reflexes suck.

"You need to get over this irrational fear." He says.

"S'cuse me? Irrational? Uh, five hundred plus pounds and two inch cutters and I'm irrational. Some might say that YOU are foolhardy my dear."

"Oh...pffft, old Bear wouldn't hurt anybody. Not on purpose. Go get me the shot. I'll give it to him."

"On one condition. You be careful and be prepared to run if he gets nasty."

"Just go get the SHOT!"

"Fred! First you have to poke him and he's gonna need like twenty cc's, and this medicine burns, okay, he's not going to like it, plus he feels bad....."

"Okay so your solution is to just let him what...die?"

"Noooo...." using utmost restraint, "...no. My solution is to wait til tomorrow when it's daylight and when he's maybe losing a bit of his energy and isn't so quick to react and then wait till he lays down by the fence and reach through and poke him."

"No. Gotta do it tonight."

Cut. Done. End of discussion. Okay. I went in and got the shot. Came out to find Fred making buddy buddy with Bear, trying to lay down some 'I'm a nice guy' ground work.

"All right big boy. It's okay. You're gonna be fine." Ever so slowly advancing the needle, which by the way is huge, like the size of the metal paper clips are made of. I watched the needle getting closer and closer, my anxiety at peak level even though so far, of course, Bear was snuggled into his hay looking like he didn't have a problem in the world. Then the needle hit home. Woohoo.

Up he came so fast that it shocked Fred and he stood up abruptly slamming his head into the rafter on Bear's shelter. Keeriminy! Two things happened almost simultaneously and I'm not actually sure of the sequence but I think that first the needle snapped off in Bear's neck, and then he turned his head and tried to eat Fred's arm, a handsome strong arm that I am very attached to.

Fred backpedaled and Bear came up to a half sit, and let out a growl that I'm sure turned the little hairs at the back of my neck a pristine white.

"See? See? I told you!"

"Well, I KNEW he wasn't going to like it, but I had to psych myself up, you know," then he grimaced, "and I'll be danged if I don't have to go back over there and pull that needle shank out."

"I would not want to be you." I said, shuddering.

"I guess that means you won't volunteer. He's already mad at me, see.." Trying to worm his way around going back over there."

"Shut up." I pointed my 'I mean business' finger at him.

Cut. Done. End of discussion.

"Okay well, when he's running around the pen tomorrow crapping out little Fred patties then you'll be sorry."

"Hey you picked this road Bucko, not me, if you'll remember, I was against the whole deal from the beginning....hey, how's your head?"

"What? Huh? Did I hit my head?"

"Well YEAH! Sounded like a watermelon falling off the back of a truck!"

He waved me off, by this time he was making his way over to Bear, and God bless his speed, he snatched out the needle and was back at the fence and climbing over before Bear had a chance to realize he'd been there and gone again.

Whew.

Now. I will keep an eye on him and when I catch him laying by the fence I'll pop him and be done with it. Some things just take time and patience. Giving a boar a shot without the benefit of a squeeze shoot is WAY WAY up there at the top of the list. (grin)
 
   / big Bear has the bug
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Well, Bear got stuck and stuck good and proper. Twenty cc's of the good stuff right on target. How? My seventeen year old daughter did it.

I'm really squeamish about giving shots. I get better every day, but still a little nervous. She was going out to feed so I said wait.... while you pour Bear's feed I want to try and give him a shot through the fence.

Okay.

So out there we went, her with her bucket and me with my syringe. Then I proceeded to hem and haw around trying to build up my nerve.

Note: Never get between a teenage girl and her upcoming date.

After five minutes or so, she lost her patience with me.

"I'm gonna be late. Give me that stupid thing."

She snatched the syringe from my hand, climbed up on the side of the fence and, reaching over, in one jab had the needle buried up to the hilt in his neck. He made a little unhappy noise and wandered off a few feet. Then when he came back, the syringe still protruding from his neck, she jammed the plunger home and yanked out the needle.

Well. This is exactly how I have been told to do it. She needed no instructions she just did it. I remember when I was seventeen and could do anything and was scared of nothing.
 
 
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