New visitor came for breakfast !!!! 3 pics

[bayouchica]

Thanks everyone for the compliments, yes I'm crazy!!

My family has been telling me that for years,lol. It's a shame, I've only seen gators at the zoo. I've only lived here about 6 years.
I'm not too worried about the chickens,they do go down & hunt for frogs & stuff by the water.They don't stay there very long because the herons freak them out still.

The dogs are always out around barking at the least little thing.

I figure the gator was hunting for fish,we've got alot by our bank.I put out Cat chow & catfish pellets for the turtles,so it attracts all kinds of critters.
I'll keep yall posted.. I'll have to take Wally the mascot out on a night time gator hunt when he comes my way,lol.
I want to thank everyone again.. I've been kind of down here lately & yall make me feel awhole alot better

Miriam

 

[Davaroo]

Very cool pics. Neat place to live. I used to see gators all the time in FL and there is indeed a primordial appeal to them. Now for the dire warning:

It may interest you to know that a fat chicken near the waters edge is an inviting thing for your average gator. Hapless birds that stray too close to the danger zone are a preferred food for gators. At the very least, they will entice an interested gator to linger just a little too close for comfort....

I dont want to be a wet blanket on all this "crazy fun," but setting up a buffet for them is not likely to pay welcome dividends. Every year in S-FL, dogs, cats and even small children, are taken by gators - gators lured too close by friendly folks feeding other favorite gator prey.... like fish, turtles, birds, etc.

Keep a close watch, for now, but I'd like to see you fence the cluckers off from the waters edge. This is a wild gator in his element, not a pet chameleon.

 

[arlee453]

Elderoo - don't worry, the crocs only come to feed on chicken if you play your zylophone first...

 

[Cetawin]

I prefer seeing them like that as opposed to trapped in my sister's screened porch tearing up everything.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Um, chickes make an excellent snack for gators... I wouldn't let the girls to close!

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Your sister has gators on her screened porch???

 

[ruth]

In all seriousness Miriam - gators will come on land and get anything they can. We have them in the small creeks in Covington, LA (my other home). In downtown historic Covington where my little vintage jewelry shop was - there was a small river/creek with homes on it and gators were always getting the cats and dogs that got too close to the water. My customers would come in all depressed about the latest loss - how they only found Fluffy's or Fido's tag or back leg or collar or tail. It was really sad. I guess that's why they scare me so.

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

I will echo that they will eat small animals. (Or not so small, depending on their size...) One ate my poodle when we lived in South Ga.

Also, one of the things we were told when we moved to that area was to fence our yard if we had small animals or children because the gators would come out the water for them at feeding time. We were also told by locals that dusk dark was the most dangerous time to be around them because that's typically feeding time. Though a big gator like you chased might be hungry a lot more often...

 

[bayouchica]

I appreciate all the the words of warning.

Don't worry, there are PLENTY of folks on the bayou that will shot him on sight. They shoot snakes & nutria all the time.
The chickens make their rounds by the bayou when I'm up there feeding the ducks.I keep track where they go during the day. They are just like clockwork really,don't stray too far from their routine.

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

I am glad to hear that, Bayouchica. Well, not that they'll shoot him, but that you are sure your chickens are safe.