Ducklife 'Face time with Catherine the Great post Vet call' Midsprings Eostre 2024 Aus

Just off the phone to a specialized bird vet and recording my thoughts. I did find the vet in Bendigo the clinic referred to however it would take 4 and 1/2 hrs one way! Due to train into the city and then out. We have messed up transport here in regional Victoria in where they force you to leave regional to town in order to go to regional in a different direction. I will to reassess and attempt resolution tomorrow, dam tired was up till 4am trying to get a chem paper ready to sub for studies and have had internet/phone dropping in out every day/night for the past 3 weeks... Sure is a patience/character testing time for me now lol...
I did start using a drawing salve last night and she really liked it/got relief so who knows this may get the shrinking of this plug going again till we get a proper check esp for complications from the plug that I suspect shes grown with from duckling stage due to size and lameness...
Thy got their breakfast but I didnt get mine till 5pm... oh craziness...
Recorded in the late tide of Midsprings Eostre Aus, 2024.
The clinic who supplied the Vet over phone Consult was birdvetmelbour... #birdvetmelbourne
Catherine the Great AKA Kit Kat is a Purebred Silver Appleyard. This is a heritage breed of the domestic duck sp. which is at risk of being lost on par with the Cayuga breed in risk of loss. We need to preserve and keep these beautiful breeds alive :)
Appleyards are calm with strong legs and something is truly amiss if their legs arnt strong. Their legs are set further back and wider apart in comparison to say a Peking or any other dom. sp. and their leg strength comes from carrying around that large body akin to constantly doing squats and lunges.
Large, sturdily built ducks with a "blocky" physique and a prominent breast that is apple shape almost touching the ground when standing (much like the Rouen's in that regard). Thick necks that really enjoy being ruffled. My Bella has a neck of nearly 4" diameter. When she bleets out a large sassy honk that will put geese to shame it expands another inch which is a sight and experience to behold :)
The Silverapples' also take on snow like they are descended from Ice giants and are quite robust to cold (when healthy) compared to the other domestic breeds so its worth noting if your climate is on the chilly side that this breed will settle in that climate quite nicely.
When full grown they weigh between 3 and 4.5kgs (My Bella at 3yrs is nearly 3kgs but is heavier in winter/autumn when she has a break from laying when in the molt, Catherine here is a third of the weight and around 6 months old but I dare say needs some weight and strength on her when we can get through our current hurdles).
The drakes of this breed have a yellow or greenish-colored bill which sometimes takes on a striated appearance when the duck is older and remind me of the black and white striking sled dogs/Malamutes with personality's to match. A very sooky breed that does require more care and effort to look after, they tend to think they are superheroes whom can fly dodge and leap in a single bound in which gravity does not agree with, but they are so worth it. They are a breed on their own stratosphere :)
Rare Breeds Survival Trust www.rbst.org.u...
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By Ravenmor Fox
Level 4 Horticulturist
Druir and Wic of the old ways
Priestess to the Morgan of old.
Currently a student in App Animal Science ad Ornithology