Cow Chips
In the Brooder
This morning I let the girls put and none of them would go except Laura (named after my BFF; they're both skinny and always eating but I love them both just the same. 
Anyway, I checked on them about 45 minutes ago to see if they were out, if they had water, maybe another afternoon egg. They didn't want to leave so I chalked it up to just a hot, summer day and they're hanging out in the coop.
I look down in the corner of the coop entrance and there is a snake!!! I freak and call my husband out - he's all of 30 feet away but he went inside to grab a shotgun. We have lots of rattlesnakes on our ranch because we are in New Mexico, it's a shady place, and there's a food and water source. Perfect storm. It hissed at me and I swore it sounded just like a rattler!
So hubby comes out, assesses the situation while I've climbed to the top of the pen, and reassures me it's a hog headed snake. Here's a link to a picture if you've never see one: https://www.herpwiki.com/photo/1750-small-heterodon_nasicus.jpg
Now here's the crazy thing...one of the younger chicks, about 3 months old, really wanted to check out this hissing thing. They're kind of like the dog: not sure what it is, but it looks like something fun to play with. The older hens, which we inherited about 6 weeks ago, pecked and harassed the younger one to get to a safer place! They wouldn't let her near the snake! I've never seen such a thing since we got them - it's usually pecking the younger ones to get out of the way of the good food!
So proud of my lady hens taking care of each other.
I did ask my hubby to shoot the snake, though. We love their eggs but I'm not about to start sharing. I already had a couple of ceramic eggs out and was so happy to see that someone laid an egg next to the decoys...2 weeks later!
Anyway, I checked on them about 45 minutes ago to see if they were out, if they had water, maybe another afternoon egg. They didn't want to leave so I chalked it up to just a hot, summer day and they're hanging out in the coop.
I look down in the corner of the coop entrance and there is a snake!!! I freak and call my husband out - he's all of 30 feet away but he went inside to grab a shotgun. We have lots of rattlesnakes on our ranch because we are in New Mexico, it's a shady place, and there's a food and water source. Perfect storm. It hissed at me and I swore it sounded just like a rattler!
So hubby comes out, assesses the situation while I've climbed to the top of the pen, and reassures me it's a hog headed snake. Here's a link to a picture if you've never see one: https://www.herpwiki.com/photo/1750-small-heterodon_nasicus.jpg
Now here's the crazy thing...one of the younger chicks, about 3 months old, really wanted to check out this hissing thing. They're kind of like the dog: not sure what it is, but it looks like something fun to play with. The older hens, which we inherited about 6 weeks ago, pecked and harassed the younger one to get to a safer place! They wouldn't let her near the snake! I've never seen such a thing since we got them - it's usually pecking the younger ones to get out of the way of the good food!
So proud of my lady hens taking care of each other.
I did ask my hubby to shoot the snake, though. We love their eggs but I'm not about to start sharing. I already had a couple of ceramic eggs out and was so happy to see that someone laid an egg next to the decoys...2 weeks later!
