Arizona Chickens

[bunsnpupsnchick]

Bobby Basham....no hijacking involved. The jumping in is appreciated. I like the drawings. I do similar...go as an idea hits...then stumble forever before deciding.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

So I went down to my aquaponics room this afternoon to find a 4+ foot long Red Racer snake stretched across one of the beds, drinking water as it fell from one bed to the next. Upon seeing me it climbed down into one of the cement blocks...completely unreachable. I told my husband...he totally freaked out and wants it gone. (He really doesn't like snakes.) Me? I'm thinking we now have an efficient solution to our growing mouse problem. And maybe this is also why we haven't been seeing many toads around here this year.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm with the husband. Is it a poisonous snake? Or does something like pythons? That very well could be why not many toads....friend of mine suggested a snake. I'm sure that thing would help with the mice too. Might depend on how often/much it would eat versus how quickly the mice populated. What about baby snakes????

 

[DesertChic]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm with the husband. Is it a poisonous snake? Or does something like pythons? That very well could be why not many toads....friend of mine suggested a snake. I'm sure that thing would help with the mice too. Might depend on how often/much it would eat versus how quickly the mice populated. What about baby snakes????

They're non-venomous, and purported to be fairly aggressive, though the ones I've dealt with in the past have been more inclined to slither away than bite. Baby snakes are precisely what my husband is concerned about. We had a Red Racer find its way into the chicken nursery when my chicks were only about 3-5 weeks old. It didn't attack any of them but frantically tried to find its way out again. My husband insisted on killing it. I saw it as a source of free protein for my chickens and decided to skin it for them to pick at, and found a baby snake inside of it, much to my surprise. At that point I tossed it down into the valley near our house and watched as some very happy crows took ownership of it instead.

If it's not obvious, snakes, as a general rule, don't bother me. I used to play with Garter Snakes as a kid. I think they're kinda cool.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

They're non-venomous, and purported to be fairly aggressive, though the ones I've dealt with in the past have been more inclined to slither away than bite. Baby snakes are precisely what my husband is concerned about. We had a Red Racer find its way into the chicken nursery when my chicks were only about 3-5 weeks old. It didn't attack any of them but frantically tried to find its way out again. My husband insisted on killing it. I saw it as a source of free protein for my chickens and decided to skin it for them to pick at, and found a baby snake inside of it, much to my surprise. At that point I tossed it down into the valley near our house and watched as some very happy crows took ownership of it instead.

If it's not obvious, snakes, as a general rule, don't bother me. I used to play with Garter Snakes as a kid. I think they're kinda cool.

You are awesomely amazing.

Glad they're non-venomous. I don't think I could've skinned it. Killed, probably to protect my critters yes...if I couldn't do anything else. I'd probably be doing the 'oh gross...eeekkk....barely trying to touch it moves' the whole time. I get icked out just dealing with taking the skin off of chicken or cleaning chicken & finding feathers. I can't eat chicken anymore, but before when I could I'd still fix it then eat it later.

I was a tomboy, just never went after the snakes. I did use to catch bullfrogs. Something flipped a bit I think with my ability to do that kind of thing. lol

 

[Bobby Basham]

Bobby Basham....no hijacking involved. The jumping in is appreciated. I like the drawings. I do similar...go as an idea hits...then stumble forever before deciding.

Thanks so much. I really do like to draw and plan things. I probably should have been some type of structural/design engineer or something similar. My biggest issue is fatigue and procrastination. There's over $800 of lumber still stacked up in the garage. Some already went to constructing the run, but there's more..... Next to my covered outdoor patio, there is an 8 x 12 foot dirt area (in green) next to the neighbors wall. A raised deck will go there. I even have those raised concrete pillars to elevate the deck. None of this is drawn to scale, just my noodling.




The little octagon table between the chairs is reserved for this cool little 70's Magnavox phonograph with slide-out turntable, AM-FM radio, plus Aux inputs.

I already bought the patio furniture a couple years ago, still in boxes. It's all wrought iron with cushioned seating and a glass-top coffee table.



This is my plan for the raised deck next to the patio/neighbor's wall. I would like to put a picnic table, umbrella and a nice grill in that area.


Yep, I like to draw. --BB

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

It looks good. I get exhaustion & procrastination. Just chip away it. I call it putzing around the house. Entails anything & everything that needs to be done from dishes to poop patrol to making/building/fixing whatever. My house is still unfinished for dog door, tile, ceiling lights, paints, etc., after 3 years. Just takes time. Big thing is you have your idea & plan. That's a good step.

 

[Bobby Basham]

It looks good. I get exhaustion & procrastination. Just chip away it. I call it putzing around the house. Entails anything & everything that needs to be done from dishes to poop patrol to making/building/fixing whatever. My house is still unfinished for dog door, tile, ceiling lights, paints, etc., after 3 years. Just takes time. Big thing is you have your idea & plan. That's a good step.

Oh, I forgot to share...about a week ago, I was sitting on my sofa looking at my neglected back yard, and a mama quail and her two babies strolled up to the sliding glass doors and hung out for about 15 minutes. They left for awhile and came back later with Daddy watching over them. It was the cutest thing, and no telling what else may be living out there, but hope to have those issues resolved in the coming days.

It's pathetic that I neglected the backyard so long, but it was nice to know that Mama chose to raise her babies back there. They were smaller than newborn chicks, but they got around pretty good. I hope they're fully fledged and have moved on when I finally get out there. --BB

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

Oh, I forgot to share...about a week ago, I was sitting on my sofa looking at my neglected back yard, and a mama quail and her two babies strolled up to the sliding glass doors and hung out for about 15 minutes. They left for awhile and came back later with Daddy watching over them. It was the cutest thing, and no telling what else may be living out there, but hope to have those issues resolved in the coming days.

It's pathetic that I neglected the backyard so long, but it was nice to know that Mama chose to raise her babies back there. They were smaller than newborn chicks, but they got around pretty good. I hope they're fully fledged and have moved on when I finally get out there. --BB

Possibly. Would they not get along with the chickens?

I've dozens of small birds...finches/cactus wrens or whatever they get called plus ring neck doves, crows I think--small black birds, no pigeons like I saw at my Phoenix house, & on occasion hummingbirds! I don't mind them. Don't want them eating all of the chicken's food, but plenty of room in my tree. Though I've seen various hawks & falcons around the area I haven't seen them with my yard. That's good...less to worry about.

 

[desertrocks]

They're pretty neat looking. I kinda miss finding Larry out in the yard. I'm not a reptile fan in any way what so ever. Much as I love animals & nature...I respect their place in the world & their purpose. Massive awe for you handling them! Not something I could do. 

They as well as the big toads are fairly common in our area.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

They as well as the big toads are fairly common in our area.

I discovered that when I went looking to what in heck Larry was! First time I'd seen one. I think he got mad about the chickens & having the prickly pear removed so he moved.