..Or Napoleon takes my bones apart!
ONE of my animals has attacked me and I am in a state of shock. Not because of the viciousness and unrelenting nature of the assault but because of the perpetrator.
I half expected in an unguarded moment I might be rammed or butted by one of the sheep, or that Jack the gander might suddenly turn on me now that he has managed to scare off everyone else who comes within his eye line. I even thought Ant or Dec, or both, could one day launch an assault on me when I least expected it because turkeys are unpredictable creatures.
But never for one moment did I expect Napoleon to turn on me, but turn he did using his razor sharp spurs with the deftness and skill of a Samurai swordsman. My left hand now looks like something on a butcher's chopping board as you can see from the series of picture below.
 |
| TAKE THAT - palm |
 |
| AND THAT - below small finger |
 |
AND THAT - thumb
|
Knocking Edwina out of my hands he then set about in three quick moves to slash and stab my skin using both spurs as he drop kicked me Kung Fu-style. It was like a scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and it really hurt causing me to emit a large, ungodly howl followed by several expletives I thought I'd long forgotten.
But, as Alpha male in the hen pen, Napoleon was not being predatory but simply over protective towards Edwina who was already in some distress when I went to do my Good Samaritan act.
In future I will always keep an eye out for Napoleon as well as the two other cockerels Jumpin' Jack and Horatio before stepping in to the hen pen and I'll try to remember to wear a pair of leather gloves.
I usually wander around with a large stick but I put it down as I knelt to pick up Edwina.
If something similar has happened to you, or if I'm handling this the wrong way, please give me your feedback.
i think you'd be better if you have gone to see a doctor, might get infection-
ReplyDeleteMay Allaah SWT give you "shifa" insha Allaah you will be fine
ReplyDeleteHand swollen but no infection, I think. saw napoleon today - didn't take my eyes off him at all. Just as well for him I hold him in high regard otherwise he'd be on the menu tonight!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about this Yvonne, as you've had your fair share of problems just recently. Actually we were just discussing how incredibly protective cockerels can be towards their flocks. Guess that kindness from humans doesn't help, either, as most species including our own have a tendency to interpret kindness as weakness. In S. Africa, by far the greatest number of human deaths from game animals are from those who have received kindness from humans. I once nearly became a statistic myself after encountering in the wild a Kudu bull who, unknown to me, had been fed on a local farm. He butted me around a bit but finally let me live as an act of charity..
ReplyDeleteMy parents lived for almost a decade on a homestead in N. Ontario with no electicity or running water, they used a well, a bucket under a sink and improvised with a motor and hose for their big jobs, like watering the potatoe patch and fields. But I think you're right, animals are just wild creatures who don't really understand human kindness nor do they show much appreciation. Still, my parents had foxes, crows or ravens, other birds, chipmunks, etc. who they fed and named, and some they knew quite well over the years. They never had any trouble with any animals. They didn't go looking for it either. A bear once fell asleep by the warmth of their front door in winter, and they couldn't get out until they scared it off. They used to keep a spray can of red pepper spray for an emergency but fortunately they never had to use it.
DeleteBlimey David, your tale makes mine sound positively tame. I suppose it's a lesson that animals can't be trusted around humans no matter how kind and well meaning we appear to be. they certainly don't have our emotions or characteristics ... and if they do I bet there was a right old chuckle in the hen pen last night.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell, let’s see what Conan the Barbarian will do about this. I expect next time I see him he will have feathers on his hat.
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteI think with a name like Napoleon it should be expected; should have named him Snowball instead ;)
ReplyDelete