Egg gathering danger

[cat1994]

Quote:
Oh well I just like the way they taste

Don't you think that they taste like ----- ---- --- chicken?

Well um maybe a lil I really think they taste like coon but then in a way coon taste like chicken so I guess in the long run yeah they do taste like chicken to me

 

[Orange Ribbon]

So far this year we've had a copperhead in the yard and blacksnake in the coop.

Here in Virginia we have some weird laws about snakes. It is illegal to kill any snake whether it is poisonous or not, but a conservation officer told me that if it was in my yard they wouldn't give me a ticket. But although it is illegal to kill them, it is legal to catch and keep up to 15 snakes of EACH species for PERSONAL USE! Now, I don't know what kind of personal use a person would have for them, although I guess I could start a snake zoo and charge admission. I did catch a rattlesnake a few years ago and had it in a cage for a few days. The neighbor and his daughter came down and we threw a rat in there and watched it bite the thing and kill it. It was very educational, LOL! I finally set it free in the woods a good ways off. My reflexes are not good enough anymore to be fooling with stuff like that. If it is poisonous and comes around the house, it is D E A D.

 

[mrpekinduck]

Oh my gosh! You're lucky none of your chickens got to it cause I know my ducks atack mice and dogs and all kind of stuff.

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
Hi Orange Ribbon,
good to hear that you are in remission, I hope everything goes well.

Virginia laws really surprise me. In a lot of ways I sympathize with the idea to protect snakes and all wildlife. Keeping for personal use? Well in Desert Hot Springs CA, Cabot Xerxa, of Cabot's Pueblo (the one who found the hot springs on one side of a hill and the cool aquafer on the other side of the hill, and dug the wells by hand--being lowered down in a bucket) kept pet rattle snakes as 'guards' so the legend goes, and no one ever tried to rob him. I guess scientific study would be another personal use, milking venomous snakes for medical purposes, snake-handling religions. I guess we kill them from fear of the damage they could do.

Glad that your conservation officer respects your rights to keep you and yours (including chickens) safe on your property!

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
That reminds me of this movie I saw "Mad City Chickens" One segment of the documentary had a man near Austin, TX who was in his yard...encountered a rattle snake -- hollered, and the chickens came over, and his whole flock eventually HERDED the rattle snake off into the woods. If you ever get a chance to see that movie--you will see what I mean.

Your ducks attack mice and dogs....?? I would be really worried about our dogs getting messed up with a poisionous snake. They even have snake venom antibodies shots that you can give your dog each year (to reduce the danger in the event the dog would be bitten by a snake)--- we haven't given ours any---but maybe that needs to be rethought.

Your ducks could be 'guard ducks'. I have also heard that geese fill that role very well.

 

[sniperclp]

arnt i glad i live in england theres only grass snakes, the smooth snake and the adder and ive never seen any of them

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Okay, you guys have me so paranoid about finding a snake that I nearly jumped (and did scream) when I mistook a tree root for a snake. One of these days, I'm going to find a snake!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Quote:
Well, wouldn't eating a snake be for "personal use?" Just sayin'

I looked it up to see if there were any laws in SC on snakes. I didn't see any.

 

[chiks4nena]

I know it isn't being environmentally friendly but only good snake is a DEAD snake. We have plenty of snakes in GA. Just thankful I have not seen any this year. Hubby has and moves them to a another aea.

 

[Okie Amazon]

Quote:
Don't count on this.... I read an article the other day that many rattlers in the south where there is a large feral pig population HAVE STOPPED RATTLING!! Feral pigs think of snakes as cavier and prey on them, so to rattle and betray your presence is to get eaten. Snakes are not stupid, they've been around a loooong time.