Unity Farm Journal - Third Week of August 2014

As a doctor for over 20 years, I’ve learned how to treat critical healthcare issues.   As a father, son, and husband I’ve learned how to support my own family through injury, sickness, and death.As a farmer responsible for over 100 animals, life and death are part of the daily experience.Sunny, our baby alpaca, is now doing extremely well.   She did not successfully receive the immunoglobulin transfer that happens between mother and baby with consumption of colostrum, the first mother’s milk.   Her tests revealed she had an incomplete immune system and was unlikely to survive an infection.   She was not gaining weight and was at high risk for infant mortality.   A peritoneal infusion of alpaca plasma and daily bottle feedings have brought her back on track.   Her immune system is now fully complete and her weight is normal.   Today’s she’s running around the paddock and warming up in the sun on a cool Fall-like morning.   We’re still awaiting the arrival of our newest alpaca baby - should be any day now.It’s natural to expect a fair amount of mortality in bird populations.   Chickens, ducks, and guineas lay so many eggs because few are expected to make it to adulthood.   A few of our guineas have died in the past few weeks.   The four guineas raised by ducks had a hard time socializing with the rest of the guinea flock - they tended to prefer the quiet of the forest (with the coyotes, fisher cats, foxes, rac...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - Category: Technology Consultants Source Type: blogs