It was bad enough that Honey was missing last night, I was still hoping that she might turn up out of some hiding place this morning like she did before. But no, and the ducks were behaving oddly. Last night they'd already volunteered to go to bed early, and today they certainly did not behave as they normally do.
I was a bit preoccupied with some urgent correspondence and trying to get a little present sent off for Eleanor's birthday, but I took a few photos through the windows to record the odd behaviour. Ben in particular was either standing with head pulled in or just sitting in one place, odd.
I'd been shopping at lunch time, and when I'd posted El's little parcel I took the camera to see if I could spot what was ailing Ben. He stood up as I came close, and there was blood running down his front. I managed to catch him and bathe his wound - it was big, with a lump of skin coming away from the muscle. I rang the vet in Coalville and got an appointment for 5 pm. As it happened the vet was free just gone half past 4 - I'd gone early - and the vet was sure it was a fox bite that needed stitching under anaesthetic. They were going to ring me when Ben was ready to collect.
So I went home again, and was again struck to see just 7 of them lying in a row in front of the garage.
Purdy was missing, Anke was missing. I took the camera into the duck run, there was Dotty, and Gertie and Billie-Jean were on the pond.
Going out of the back gate I could see April lying dead,
and turning round there was Cheryl squashed into the corner.
I took her into the kitchen, she had a wound similar to Ben's, not as deep. When I rang the vet's they were just stitching Ben up, and asked me to bring Cheryl so they could see to her as well. She didn't need stitching, they glued the wound, but the vet was more worried for her than she was for Ben who had just come out of the anaesthetic and found his voice again. Shock cannot be treated.
As the vet's is close to Graham and Pat's I called on them to update them [I had called them with the bad news earlier], but they weren't at home - I thought they'd gone for their Friday-Fish&Chips. But when I arrived home with my two patients Pat and Graham were already there, Graham volunteered to bury poor April and Pat helped me get the cage into the sun lounge and to settle Ben and Cheryl.
They've got Baytril to be given twice a day for 5 days ---- if Cheryl survives the night, she does look poorly.
I had no trouble to get the remaining 10 into their huts, just 5 in each now.
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