My Take Tuesday: Chickens

If you attended elementary school with me, you will probably will remember my obsession with chickens. Throughout elementary school, I would draw chickens when I was bored. Given the many drawing projects that elementary age children have, I drew hundreds of mediocre pictures of my pet chickens. Fortunately, my teachers were patient and supportive. Although my artistic abilities left much to be desired, I was free to draw to my hearts content.

We would receive an annual catalog from Murray McMurray Hatchery. This catalog would depict every conceivable breed of chicken and give a short description of the desirable traits each possessed: comb type, leg feathering, silky, frizzle, bantam, standard, etc. I would spend hours and hours looking through this catalog. Each year, I was allowed to choose a single baby chick of the breed of my choosing. I took this choice seriously.

There are a range of things that one needs to consider when deciding what breed of chicken to have. These include the climate in which you live, whether you are raising backyard chickens for eggs or meat production, their temperament, foraging capability, predator awareness, and broodiness. I meticulously studied each breed and made my selection each year.

To this day, chickens remain my favorite animals. I look back with fondness on the days spent coloring and drawing with crayons.

Memories are painted optimistically with passing years. I miss the worry-free days sitting at a desk in elementary school.

I will forever treasure these pictures and the pleasant memories associated with them.

And that is my take!

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

I received a call a few months back regarding a sick llama. It was from a new client that wanted to know if I knew anything about llamas and alpacas. Calls like this are somewhat frequent. Asking a vet if they know anything about llamas is like asking a pediatrician if they know anything about 8 year olds. I responded, that I was indeed familiar with all camelids and had worked extensively with them as a veterinarian. 

January in Utah is a beautiful time of the year. The land is white. The peaks are white. The roof tops of the houses and barns are blanketed in white. All is lost in the colorless landscape in which a sense of peace takes over, the long nights settle in, the land is in a slumber and the world is put down to rest. Then suddenly, without just cause, comes a blast of bitter blizzards, and winter deepens her grip.

This particular morning was bitter cold. The air burned my face as I stepped out my front door. When temperatures reach twenty below zero, your nostrils sting and burn with each breath. Still, despite the extreme cold, there is a stillness and quiet peace that overwhelms you during these January nights. These quiet midnight journeys to respond to emergency calls provide a time for me to reflect and think. In my busy life, I often have little time alone and I cherish those infrequent moments.

The call on this particular night was a cow with a laceration. Somehow this massive Hereford had tangled herself up in a barb wire fence. As I arrived, the gaping wound was dripping with fresh red blood. Steam would rise from the scarlet stained snow beneath as the blood trickled down and alongside the squeeze chute.

It was obvious that sutures would need to be placed.

A test of a veterinarian’s ability could be most easily assessed by watching him or her suture a laceration in -20 temperatures. It is indeed one of the most arduous of tasks.

As I pulled out my box of supplies, I noticed that a majority of drugs within my medical box were completely frozen. Fortunately, the lidocaine remained aqueous. I pulled out a large syringe and began injecting the local anesthetic along the periphery of the lesion. The old cow bellowed as I injected the Lidocaine. It was clear that she was very unhappy with her predicament.

I began to place the sutures in a simple interrupted pattern. A break was necessary between each suture placement as the stinging cold weather rendered my fingers numb and stiff. In a futile attempt, I tried exhaling on my frozen fingers hoping that they regain some function. This only made the numbness much worse.

As I placed the last onerous suture, the cow lunged forward in the squeeze chute. Her massive belly pinned my fingers against the side of the squeeze chute. A sharp pain shot up my arm as I jumped and pulled my hand back. Nervous to check to see what damage was caused to my numb smashed fingers, I exclaimed, “Alright, turn her lose. We are done.”

As soon as the head gate opened, this massive Hereford jumped forward and exited the chute bellowing and swinging her head. She ran straight ahead for about 20 yards at which time she paused. She then turned around and set her focus on me.

I immediately knew I was in trouble. I quickly  grabbed my tools and began running for the fence; 1800 pounds of solid bovine came thundering toward me making me forget about anything except for escaping her wrath.

After a short run, with the bellowing cow in close pursuit, I reached the lodge pole pine fence that surrounded the corral. I dared not look back as I scampered over the fence. I could hear the angry cow snarling and could feel the sound of each hoof pounding the ground as she bounded towards me.

I made it across the fence safely. Upon reaching the other side I peered back at the massive cow. She stood facing the fence, head down, with a most bewildered look in her eyes. My heart pounded uncontrollably and I began to shake. This was one angry cow!

Immediately, my squished hand began to throb. The feeling in my fingers returned and I walked back to my truck.

As I drove away,  I was very much relived to be leaving the belligerent bovine far behind. This was a close call and I was very fortunate to have made it out of the pen without any serious harm.

As I headed down the cold frozen highway, my mind returned to my time as a student in veterinary school. In the large animal section of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Washington State University there was a magnetic sign that could be placed on the pen of a fractious animal. The sign read, “Fractious cow can make it to gate in 2.5 seconds. Can you?”

It would be fitting to have such a sign to hang near the squeeze chute on this particular Utah County farm.

And that is my take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

Above the timberline, soaring above the lofty mountains of the Manti Lasal National Forest fly two bald eagles. These beautiful birds fly through the deep blue skies that surround Castle Valley.

For some unknown reason, this pair of eagles chose an unusual spot to make build their nest. Leaving behind the towering cliffs that surround Castle Dale, they instead close a small clump of Cottonwood trees located in the corner of a dry land  alfalfa patch.

I recall my father purchasing this land in the late 1980’s. We tilled the blue clay soil and planted alfalfa on the areas that were fertile enough to support crop production.

The very next year, while we were feeding cows, we noticed two bald eagles perched in the clump of Cottonwood trees at the bottom of the field. I recall thinking how unusual it was to see two bald eagles in the same tree.

During the next few months, these eagles built a massive nest. We watched as they carried sticks and bark from miles away. The nest was an engineering marvel, built high in the tree below the crown supported by large forked branches near the trunk. The nest was constructed of interwoven sticks. The interior was lined with grass, corn stalks, and other material. The bowl was filled with soft materials and the downy feathers from adults.

I recall the first eaglets born on the farm. In a rare event, one year 3 offspring were successfully raised.

Year after year, decade after decade, this process repeated itself producing many successful offspring.

Each breeding season, material was added to the nest and it’s size increased by up to a foot in height and diameter each year. The nest became visible from great distances as its size increased.

The bald eagles were a welcome sight. Each year they would appear right before Christmas. I remember seeing them consistently every year while growing up. They stood perched, looking down on my every move. A feeling of safety and security ensued as these majestic guardians stood watch.

Although we all recognize the Bald Eagle as the national symbol of the United States,  and as a proud icon of patriotism. I feel they could serve just as well or better as symbols of faithful monogamy. When one of these birds of prey finds his or her mate, the pair stays together for life.

Just this past week, the eagles returned to the farm in Castle Dale.

There is safety in constancy, and security in consistency. I am glad that high in the blue skies above Castle Dale, there is a welcoming place, where the eagles fly.

And that is my take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

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What makes Mountain West Animal Hospital unique? 

#DocBott

As a child, I grew up in Castle Dale, Utah. My family had a small farm where we raised sheep, cattle and chickens. We had several pastures which we would rotate the sheep and feeder calves. It was always fun when we turned the animals into a new pasture. Their first response was to run and jump and frolic at their new found freedom. I experimented and found this behavior to occur even when they were moved to a smaller pasture. This behavior consistently would occur with what seemed to be only one requirement – wide open space. This freed them from their paradigm. They respond the same way with grass, mud and even snow. Wide open space makes them run and jump and seemingly find energy and happiness.

I find myself, all to often, enclosed in a self imposed corral whose fences limit progression and success. I built these barriers and dare not venture outside these boundaries, lest I be consumed by predators. I think many of us live out our existence in such a fashion. It feels safe. If we never risk anything, we seemingly will never lose anything.

I submit that it is far more dangerous for us to remain inside these fences, never challenging ourselves, never truly reaching our full potentials. This meandering in mediocrity knows no true success. As Mark Twain stated, “20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did”. No growth occurs without challenge, and no challenge occurs without some level of uncertainty and presentation of incommodious circumstances.

With that, I throw off the bowlines. I set sail away from the safe harbor with the intent of catching the trade winds in my sails. I stand on the edge of the bough, letting my toes hang over just a bit. It is time to explore, dream and discover……

And that is my take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

In the spring of 1988, the C-D (C bar D) 4-H club would meet frequently in anticipation for the Southeastern Utah Junior Livestock Show in Ferron, UT. Our advisor, Diane Bott, put significant effort into helping all members prepare for the event. Each meeting would include the recitation of the 4-H pledge. I still remember it.
“I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
and my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”

What is the benefit of 4-H? I am sure it is different for every 4-H’er, depending on their goals and personal situation. Many will give the typical answers; that it builds character, creates discipline, teaches youth about agriculture, teaches sportsmanship, etc., etc. While all of that is true, there is more that this program can and does do for our youth.

To me one of the greatest values of the 4-H Program is that it allows 4-H’ers the opportunity to gain confidence in themselves by caring for something that is 100% dependent on them. I remember a young 4-H’er who was uncomfortable getting in a pen with the lamb that he was going to take to the show that year. The previous year, he had been hit by a large ram while feeding the sheep with his dad. This made the boy terrified of sheep. Even though he was scared, he had to face this fear; because without him the lamb could not eat or drink and could not have a clean place to live. Little by little, this young boy became more and more comfortable around livestock. I catch a glimpse of this boy every time I look in the mirror.

I remember how attached I became to my own lamb my first year in 4-H. I was only 7 at the time. I cried the day of the sale, as I hugged my lamb goodbye.

Caring for animals will bring out the best in us. Regardless if it is a piglet, a lamb, a calf, a puppy or a kitten, children learn what it feels like to have a living creature rely on them, and that teaches responsibility in a way little else can. Caring for a pet creates a sense of empathy and a respect for life. It teaches commitment and consistency, and it builds self-confidence and provides immense joy.

I am grateful for my time as a 4-H’er. This picture is of me with my first lamb at the stock show in Ferron, UT in 1988.

The smile on my face right now is just as big as I remember this exciting day.

And that is my take!

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

The Premise of Prevention

Dogs and cats are living longer and healthier lives thanks to regular physical exams and preventive care. Preventive medicine, or ‘wellness,’ is something that started in humans and then went to animals (often advances in medicine work the other way around). The premise is this: if you can prevent or catch illness early on, it’s easier on the pet, the owner and the pocketbook.

Routine blood and urine tests are a thorough way of assessing your pet’s general health. These screen for key indicators that arise much before clinical signs are noted. I routinely diagnose kidney and liver disease in pets that are acting completely normal.