Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[meepitqueenie]

if the openings are not right where the chickens can get to them- try placing moth balls arround in the shed openings or under your porches.

when i lived in Oklahoma as a child that's what my parents did- the smell is strong and the snakes dont line it.

i am sure they are not good for chickens to peck at or consume. but if they were placed far enough a way I would think that would help with some of the snake issues.

 

[Debbi]

I couldn't resist posting this, as I know quite a few of you also have Silkies. This is my favorite boy, "Kramer" at 14 weeks this Sat.! He is so sweet too!

 

[gilavina]

haha....you go get'em Debbi!

 

[gilavina]

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Holy Crap!! When did they grow so big?! Time is going so stinking fast! Did you see the surprises I got yesterday?

 

[Debbi]

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Thanks Caroline! The problem with moth balls these days, is they are not made out of naptha any more, and that was the stuff that made it smell. I could always put them in a container with holes so the chooks don't get to them. I have one small cat here that is my copperhead killer. She must've missed these, as the cats don't go into the garage. I may have to leave the door cracked open for her...

 

[gilavina]

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Thanks Caroline! The problem with moth balls these days, is they are not made out of naptha any more, and that was the stuff that made it smell. I could always put them in a container with holes so the chooks don't get to them. I have one small cat here that is my copperhead killer. She must've missed these, as the cats don't go into the garage. I may have to leave the door cracked open for her...

I don't know if this is the same base you are talking about but what about Fels Naptha Soap if you cut it up in chunks?

 

[Debbi]

Hmm, never heard of that. I know they make a snake repellant, but I think my best bet is my little girl, "Squirrel". She is tiny, but like a mongoose when it comes to snakes! She brings me her trophies all the time!

She got bitten by a copperhead a few years ago, right in the throat. That thing swelled up like a tennis ball, and I doctored her the best I could. She pulled through, but lost the majority of her voice due to the location of the bite, so now, she whipers!

 

[Debbi]

Yes, cute surprises!! What are the little stinkers??

 

[gilavina]

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Fels Naptha is an old bar soap used for laundry. I can still get it here and use it to make my own laundry detergent every so often. Its not expensive either which is the bonus. It doesn't have the stink of moth balls, but it does have a smell...kind of like a strong soap, but that stuff is amazing for cleaning and getting stains out!

That's amazing your cat survived a bite from a copperhead!

 

[gilavina]

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They are from two different pullets. One is a blue cuckoo...He has to be out of the Regulator boy I posted pics of a while back since he is the only one that had cuckoo blood in him. I'm very curious to see what he turns into.... The other two are out of my cuckoo pen. These were hatched by the same one I got 5 chicks out of just a week and a half ago or so. I found out she was setting on two clutches of eggs. When she abandoned the other chicks, its because she was going to setting on these babers. The splash girl that had the blue still had 5 lovely lovely dark eggs under her, so I'm curious to see what happens. I know she stole some BCM eggs from another pullet that gave up setting, so I'll just have to see what I get. Luckily each of my boys is drastically different so telling what it came out shouldn't be too difficult.

That reminds me...I should get a progress pic on the leg feathering I'm getting on my cuckoos. The original stock has one or two feathers on the legs out with all of them combined, but I've been selectively hatching and making fantastic progress!!!