Caring for Camp's Animals


Kajirae of Tuchuk will care for its animals with the diligence and respect which should be accorded to the creatures which provide our very way of life. In addition to feeding and watering the livestock, their pens are to be kept clean to ensure a comfortable and sanitary environment. Dried bosk dung will be gathered to provide fuel for our fires, while the feces and guano of other animals will be dumped in the compost pits located at the perimeter (and downwind!) of camp. There are buckets for water in the freight wagons as well as yokes for carrying them to the river. The buckets for grains and the grain stores are also in the freight wagons.

Keep in mind that each pen holds between 20 and 100 animals and is outfitted with long, wide troughs for food and water. Tending our livestock is a lengthy process requiring several detailed posts and the use of NPC kajirae and thralls. The care of our bosk is detailed on its own seperate page; all other animals are to be tended in the following manner:

Sleen: 1 bucket of water, per animal, and the leftovers from slaughtering. The sleen hunt at night when they are released to guard the Camp, so it is not a big worry if there are no scraps to feed them.

Kailla: 2 buckets of water, per animal, along with scraps from butchering. Also, once a week, several older or injured verr are led live to each kaiila pen. Kailla need the kill as much as the meat.

Verr: 1 bucket of water and 2 buckets of feed grains, per animal.

Vulo: 1 bucket of water and 1 bucket of grain per flock. When gathering eggs, 3/4 go to camp stores while 1/4 are left behind to provide hatchlings for future generations of egg layers and tasty morsels.

Tarn Care: It is not generally expected that a slave will care for a tarn. Indeed, very few members even keep such saddle birds. However, camp slaves should know their proper care in case they are one day privately owned and required to tend their onwer's tarn. Master RAGNAR's tarns are tended by specifically directed slaves only. It must be remembered that tarns are not friendly, even those considered "tamed." A trust must be established between tarn and human. It is not uncommon for a tarn to one day turn on its rider and have him for dinner. The saddle birds require very little care. Basically, they are kept hobbled with a length of heavy chain. One end of the chain is attached to a heavy collar locked around one ankle, and the other end is bolted to the floor. The principles of tarn care can be summarized with the following acronym:
    Trust: The first key to the care of a tarn, developing a level of trust between bird and human.
    Affection: Tarns love their beaks rubbed.
    Respect: Respect the great birds 100% of the time.
    Never: Never forget a tarn is carnivorous.

The slave will check with the Master/Mistress to see what he or she specifically requires for the care of the tarn. The following is only a basic guideline:
    1. Always approach the tarn cot slowly so the birds are not startled.
    2. Before approaching the tarn, be sure he is hobbled.
    3. Each tarn has his own "tarn call" or whistle. Each whistle is tuned to the individual tarn, so that no two tarn calls are the same.
    4. Release the tarn from his hobble chain, then stand back and blow into the tarn call. This tells the tarn he may fly to go feed.
    5. Ensure the tarn’s water trough is kept filled with fresh water. One fresh bucket of water per day should be sufficient.
    6. When the tarn returns on his own from feeding, re-attach the chain hobble to the tarn collar.

NOTE: IT WAS NOTICED...that slaves are feeding tarns bosk meat from the cold wagons. To feed a tarn this bosk meat, meat meant to nourish the frees of this camp and which may possibly entice the tarn to hunt the Camp's grazing beasts, is not acceptable per our Ubar. Tarns may be fed older vulo and verr if they cannot hunt on their own. Tarns may be fed only the intestines and other parts of bosk that are kept in slop buckets in the rear of the servery after a butchering.

 

General Info .. Men.. Women .. Slaves.. Visitors