Hi I’m Mike, the project list continues and today we head back into bird territory
as we tackle the peacocks prosthetic once again, its peacock leg 2.0 today on the project
list on our Wyoming life.
Welcome to our Wyoming life, each week we tackle projects from the board and try to
whittle away at the tasks that need done around the ranch.
From cleaning corrals to tractor maintenance its all up there While some projects can wait
others can’t and month ago we started work on a project that we cant give up on and that’s
Project peacock.
If this is your first time here please subscribe and join us as we explore the ranch life and
escape the ordinary.
Sometimes escaping the ordinary is very true for us as I never would have imagined that
we would working on a prosthetic leg for a peacock but when we started going down this
road we knew there was no turning back and this is the continuation of that story.
In the beginning we had a peacock who lost his leg over the winter due to frostbite.
Peacocks don’t sit on the ground in the wintertime and he didn’t get frostbite from
direct contact with snow but he did get it from roosting in the rafters of the shed and
with the wind hitting him from just the wrong direction his life will never be the same
again.
We took him into the shop and began what we thought would be a normal recovery but through
the magic of the internet, a reddit user heard our story and created a 3d printed leg for
him.
We got it and put it on him and soon he was up and moving again.
But not without difficulties, the leg was heavy, he had trouble moving the hinge at
the knee as the muscles of his leg had already begun to atrophy and I think it was just uncomfortable
for him.
The angle of the foot was hard for him to deal with and even though he did wear it,
he got into the habit of trying to fly with it on rather than walk.
And when he flew, he crash landed.
The extra weight and bulk must have been awkward and after a few weeks of wearing the new leg
he managed to break it.
We repaired it and he broke it again, this time beyond repair.
A new solution was in order, and while our original designer and 3d printer started to
work on his own new plan, we started working on one as well.
Building him a new leg, without a knee and a rounded end instead of a foot for him to
walk on.
Sort of a peg leg system, which might be more stable, lighter and easier for him to use.
Today we get to take a few drawings on the board and turn them into reality.
No matter how crazy it sounds.
One of the best and hardest things about living on a ranch is that fact that all the animals
that live here, from chickens, to pigs to horses to cows and calves all depend on us
for one thing or another.
Most of the time it is food.
Feed me Seymour!
But there is also protection from weather, hygiene issues, and of course medical needs.
We firmly believe that if we can help we owe that animal our time to do everything we can
for it and to try to help it.
Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t but a win is a win and with a win you can
bank that good feeling that you have made one animals life better or even saved it.
Back to the peacock.
Our goal today is to get him back up and walking evenly again.
He can walk on his stump, but he uses his wing, putting it on the ground for balance,
which can be troublesome in itself.
In addition, with the added struggle of moving around he tends to be lethargic, sitting and
not doing anything for hours of the day.
When he used to be one of the most mobile animals on the ranch.
Helping Erin garden, or me work in the shop.
His new prosthetic leg is going to be pretty simple, a pvc sleeve will be cut to attach
to his leg.
That sleeve will have a wooden dowel attached to act as a stump extension and the entire
contraption will be held to his leg with Velcro straps.
We start with our PVC.
We have two kinds on hand, both 1” interior diameter.
One is thick walled the other thin.
We are going to start with then thin for todays prototype because it will be lighter for him
to wear.
Based on measurements from the broken leg, we will cut it down to about a foot long,
giving us a piece to work with that we will be able to trim as we get closer to fitting
it to him.
The extra length will also save our finger as we are going to cut the PVC in half using
a table saw.
Then after cutting it, trimming it to a length of about 4 inches.
Then its time for our first test fitting of the day.
I have a feeling the peacock is going to be plenty annoyed with us as we move through
this process.
Each step along the way is going to need to be fitted to him and tested for fit and size.
I’d be annoyed, I’m sure he will be.
After we determine the length of the PVC is correct we can break our belt sander out of
month balls, I don’t thin I have used this thing in a year or so and sand down the edges
and rounding off corners in order to give him a more comfortable fit.
Next up is an issue that we are going to have to deal with and that is the peacocks spur.
This claw is used for fighting and it needs somewhere to go in the new design, after marking
the location on the PVC we can drill a hole for it to fit through.
This is actually good, as it will keep the prosthetic from twisting on his leg.
Back down the stairs we go, this time testing the placement of our hole for the spur, which
seems to fit just right.
Back upstairs, its now time to start working on the dowel that is going to fit to the PVC
brace.
We need a pocket in the end of the dowel for his stump to fit into and to keep it from
sliding out of his new leg.
To do this we are going to first mark center, then using a spade bit on a drill we start
taking material out of the middle of the dowel.
Then using a Dremel tool we can sand it down and thin the walls out a bit where then need
to be.
Back down with the peacock we test fit the dowel that will become his new stump extension
and with the fit about right, we can then add some felt to pad the inside of the cup
that will hold his stump.
In the fitting room, the pieces are reattached to the peacock and then marked for length.
Can you see the annoyance in his eyes?
I sure can and I’m sure its going to get worse before it gets better, but there is
light at the end of the tunnel.
Now its time to attach wood and plastic, by drilling through both and securing them with
a bolt.
Measuring time again and now its time to get the length for the wooden piece so that we
walks straight and level.
Cutting it off and then sanding it into a rounded dome shape for him.
Velcro straps are then attached and we lay some padding into the inside of the PVC to
keep it from wearing on his leg.
Our padding is made up of a few layers of Vetwrap.
The stuff you see wrapped around the legs of horses to treat sprains and injuries but
this stuff has tons of uses, and now they can add padding for a peacocks prostetic leg
to their label.
We lay it in, cut it to size and then its back down stairs for another fitting on the
peacock.
We attach the leg and cut the Velcro strips to length and then its time for him to try
it out.
And it seems just a little too long, and easy fix.
Better to be too long than too short, so we head back upstairs, where we cut off some
more of the length, round it off again using the belt sander.
Now the final fitting, Setting the peacock down and strapping it on.
And away he goes.
This is something we have never done before obviously and we are winging it, so to speak.
The design keeps getting tweaked and already we have some ideas for how to attach it better
and make it more comfortable for him.
But I think we are going down the right road.
I’m sure to some people there is the thought of why bother and that’s ok.
But for us, we look back on all the years of enjoyment this peacock gave us.
Yelling at intruders, trying to help calve, and the way he seems to be watching everything
we do and we consider it payback.
He deserves to be able to go outside and stroll around his old stomping ground and we owe
it to him.
Even if he walks like a dog wearing shoes.
Thanks for coming along today, we are one step closer to the peacock being turned loose
to do his thing and as soon as it stops snowing and we can trust him not to fall on his face
in the ice and snow we will do just that and I hope you are there with us to celebrate
his recovery.
Find us on Facebook to stay up to date with what is going on with Cassidy the peacock
and if you head to our website you can sign up for the herd report and get weekly updates
on all things ranch related, including bloopers and behind the scenes footage.
Those links are in the description.
Erin will be back to planting this week as she prepares for a big move into the high
tunnel with spring gardening now underway and of course look for our regular ranch video
on Sunday morning.
Thanks for exploring the ranch life with us and we invite you to escape the ordinary every
chance you get by subscribing and coming along with us on this incredible, and sometimes
crazy journey.
Until next time, have a great week and thanks for joining us in our Wyoming life.