So our new hens are really mean.  Our old hens let us gather eggs easily.  They might squawk a little, but no blood is drawn.  These new hens from last spring’s chick are evil.  They peck hard, and I have to bring my Carhartt coat sleeve over my gloves not to bleed.  Just look at their facial expressions!

We are getting a dozen eggs a day from these little gems so I cannot complain too much.

Not quite so mean are our peafowl.  I had moved the peacock out of the pheasant pen a while ago because he was beating up our pheasant rooster.  I had let the peahen out after that, but she spent all of her time trying to get back into the pen and showed no interest in the peacock.  So I moved her back into the pheasant pen, but then the peacock has spent all over his time on top of or next to the pen, seemingly missing her.  So I finally caught her again and moved her out of the pen.  Now they are hanging out together again, after a long separation.  Here’s the happy couple:

Maybe we’ll have peachicks this spring?

INJURY UPDATES:

It looks like it has been awhile since I did an update.

Vanessa continues to improve.  She is spending some more time outside during the day.  She is a cold wimp now that she is accustomed to house temperatures.  Plus she still has a bare patch on her butt where the epidural was.

For me, I am more or less the same.  The epidural steroid injection in my back helped for the first 3 days and then stopped helping.  The physiatrist that did the injection thought I might have a neuropathy rather than a radiculopathy.  He recommends nerve conduction testing for a clearer diagnosis.  A neuropathy would not be because of my crummy back and likely wouldn’t be treatable.  In better news, I have been taking low doses of gabapentin (AKA Neurontin) which helps with the more severe stabbing pains.  I have also been getting massage therapy.  It feels good on my neck and back and has been helping with shoulder and hamstring tightness but doesn’t help the numbness and pain in my legs.  I finally got to see physical therapy last week (delayed partly because I got sick with a nasty virus).  He thought I may have Piriformis Syndrome which would be my sciatic nerve being impinged by my thigh muscles.  I have been doing piriformis muscle stretching since then, and my pain is getting much worse.  Later this afternoon I have another appointment with my primary physiatrist (rehab doctor).  We will discuss all of this, and I will ask for nerve conduction tests.  These tests are painful to do but should give me an answer as to what my diagnosis is and if there is anything that can be done for it.  Currently my activities and exercise are extremely curtailed, and I am barely able to work my “day” job.  Tom is having to do a lot of extra work on the farm because I can’t, and it is getting quite old.  I am really hoping there is something else that can be done.