We seem to be lurching from one ill-health crisis to the next at the moment. As Sorrel rejoined the other goats on Monday, our attention yesterday then became focused on our tallest white rhea who, we noticed, had a sore eye (see photo). It looked, on closer examination, to be a touch of mycoplasma – a respiratory illness that is quite common in poultry. It is likely that the sniffles experienced by two of the grey rhea back when we first got them, was also mycoplasma and a such it is probably 'doing the rounds'. We have medication for it and so yesterday and today, we both did battle in an attempt to get the said medication down his/her throat. At four months, the white rhea are big and powerful and they do NOT like being restrained, let alone having their heads tilted back and a strange liquid being squirted down their throats!!!
Today the rhea definitely had a bit of a runny nose too so although he is eating, drinking and behaving fine, he is not yet out of the woods as they say!!!