Unity Farm Journal - 5th Week of July 2014

The great thing about running a farm is that every day is filled with the unexpected.Sunny, our new baby alpaca did not consume her first meal of mother’s milk in time to receive the antibodies that are necessary to keep her healthy.   She was not gaining weight.   We had only one choice - a transfusion of alpaca plasma containing IgG (about $150).     We drove to Tufts Veterinary School and picked up 500cc of plasma.   There are two ways to transfuse a baby alpaca - jugular vein IV or peritoneal infusion.   Inserting an IV in a baby alpaca is like wrestling an alligator.  We chose the peritoneal approach which required shaving her belly, a bit of anesthetic, and a quick puncture to insert a blunt tube for infusion.   After 10 minutes of infusion she was back to the paddock.   Since the infusion, she has gained weight, had boundless energy and is on her way to becoming a healthy adult alpaca.   Here are before and after pictures, illustrating the use of our kitchen as an operating room.Over the weekend, I put on my bee suit to help my wife and daughter inspect the hives and move heavy honey filled frames.   As I walked past the cider house I noticed a grey guinea fowl that had disappeared in the forest about a month ago.  We were convinced that a coyote had taken her.   Behind her were 17 babies that she successfully raised in the forest and now was leading back to the coop.   Other guineas in the flock d...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - Category: Technology Consultants Source Type: blogs