***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Matt in Okla]

No teeth marks anywhere.  Yes, lots and lot of stems w/ clean single cuts.

Gopher

 

[Poco Pollo]

I went to the doctor early this morning for blood work and creaky joint complaints. Swelling, stiffness, pain, and popping noises now have a name: a torn meniscus. I get to wear a fashionable knee brace and have been told to use ice packs to bring the swelling down. Were my parents falling apart is early? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

I had a horrible shock when I took the tarp off one of the baby pens (25 cuckoo marans chicks). There was a huge black snake coiled up inside the pen, and there were 20 slimy, dead chicks on the ground. Five were missing, so I assumed they were inside the snake. I used my Samuri shovel and turned the snake into eight uneven pieces. Goodness what a horrible stink! I've never know a snake to smell so bad. One of the little ones make a gasping noise when I was collecting the bodies, so I rushed her into the house and did my best to revive her, but she didn't make it.

I hate snakes.

 

[jrjoplin]

That's terrible. I try to be tolerant of snakes but I think if I walked up on that scene that particular snake would be lucky if it only ended up in eight pieces.

 

[Ironsights]

@dan, you'll be cleaning that pool on a daily basis and hold your nose when you do. They will foul any amount of water no matter how small.

I keep a lid on the water where the birds are anyway with a long slot along each side. One purpose is to prevent birds from falling in the other is to keep geese out! They have their own water tank. When the geese are eating grass they sound like they are talking with their mouth full. I put up with them because they're my daughters, and she hatched them, but I was shocked to find out how long they live. I kept thinking they're going to die of old age but they're going to outlive me by a long way and they're 13 now.

They do have their good points, they'll defend to the death and they sound off at anything that moves. They've just not been pets.

 

[Ironsights]

I went to the doctor early this morning for blood work and creaky joint complaints. Swelling, stiffness, pain, and popping noises now have a name: a torn meniscus. I get to wear a fashionable knee brace and have been told to use ice packs to bring the swelling down. Were my parents falling apart is early? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I had a horrible shock when I took the tarp off one of the baby pens (25 cuckoo marans chicks). There was a huge black snake coiled up inside the pen, and there were 20 slimy, dead chicks on the ground. Five were missing, so I assumed they were inside the snake. I used my Samuri shovel and turned the snake into eight uneven pieces. Goodness what a horrible stink! I've never know a snake to smell so bad. One of the little ones make a gasping noise when I was collecting the bodies, so I rushed her into the house and did my best to revive her, but she didn't make it. I hate snakes.

I'm with you poco. I still haven't caught the big one here. I hate losing anything to a snake. Even a coyote would be better than a snake.

 

[NanaKat]

Poco..sorry to hear about you chicks! Glad you butchered the culprit! Hope your knee is on the mend soon. I like using the Absorbine gel ligament found in the horse aisle at Atwoods for $13. It is far better than BioFreeze.

Was working in the barn on construction of one of my crate coops. Walked back to get the staple gun and saw a three foot black snake slithering across the floor! It was coming from under the quail cages. It saw me and took off to the back of the barn before I could grab anything to kill it with. We have a big stack of lumber where it can hide and several pallets loaded with stuff? Knowing it is lurking in there is making me very watchful. So far no birds have been hurt, so I'm hoping it is getting enough mice, I've set up the minnow trap with bait eggs.

Got the coop finished and have another one to finish. Will paint them before moving them out to the pens.

My heart stress tests came back normal! And also the ultrasound.

 

[Sagetown]

I went to the doctor early this morning for blood work and creaky joint complaints. Swelling, stiffness, pain, and popping noises now have a name: a torn meniscus. I get to wear a fashionable knee brace and have been told to use ice packs to bring the swelling down. Were my parents falling apart is early? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

I had a horrible shock when I took the tarp off one of the baby pens (25 cuckoo marans chicks). There was a huge black snake coiled up inside the pen, and there were 20 slimy, dead chicks on the ground. Five were missing, so I assumed they were inside the snake. I used my Samuri shovel and turned the snake into eight uneven pieces. Goodness what a horrible stink! I've never know a snake to smell so bad. One of the little ones make a gasping noise when I was collecting the bodies, so I rushed her into the house and did my best to revive her, but she didn't make it.

I hate snakes.

I'm sorry for your loss Poco Pollo. At the same time, that is my fear also. I've got a pen full of chicks, and knowing snakes can squeeze through the tiniest holes, I'm hoping and praying I don't find myself in that situation.

 

[SharkmanDan]

@Poco Pollo
I'm so sorry about your babies, Coral. That's awful. We all deal with an occasional death, but, to have a bunch all at once, is a terrible loss. Stinky snake, huh? I was always under the impression that it was Copperheads, that had the awful smell to them. I have been told, since moving here (we never dealt with Copperheads in SoCal) that if it smells like something is dead and rotting, and there is nothing dead and rotting, nearby, then, it is likely a Copperhead, nearby. I had no idea that the black snakes did also.
About 1/2 mile from my place, I ran over a timber rattler, last week, pulling my boat. By the time I got stopped and backed up, to shoot the thing, and end its misery from being run over by truck and boat, it had slithered off, into the woods.
It was FAT. Looked like it had just eaten a rabbit or chicken, or something with some girth to it. I was looking forward to skinning the thing. Oh well.

@Ironsights,
Change every day? Yech!! I read that they don't really need a pond, just enough room to douse their head and beak, regularly. Maybe if I just put several 5 gallon buckets in the pen? I wanted to let them free, but, my dogs played a bit hard with one (I'm guessing the duck) because I found a BUNCH of white feathers strewn around the yard, Tuesday morning. The birds are okay, but, if my 1/2 pit bull, 1/4 Rottweiler, 1/4 boxer puppy gets ahold of one, even to play, it will be the end of that bird. So, since they don't seem inclined to flight, in the very large chicken pen, seems the safe place for them. After they get used to it, for a week or so, I will try letting them out, in the daytime, and hope they will go back in, voluntarily, at night. Otherwise, they may be permanent residents, in the pen.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Poco..sorry to hear about you chicks! Glad you butchered the culprit! Hope your knee is on the mend soon. I like using the Absorbine gel ligament found in the horse aisle at Atwoods for $13. It is far better than BioFreeze.

My heart stress tests came back normal! And also the ultrasound.

The knee brace gets hot and sweaty, no matter what you're wearing it under/over. I find myself with my leg propped up, waiting for the brace to dry.
That's wonderful news about your stress tests and ultrasound.

I'm sorry for your loss Poco Pollo. At the same time, that is my fear also. I've got a pen full of chicks, and knowing snakes can squeeze through the tiniest holes, I'm hoping and praying I don't find myself in that situation.

I put wadded plastic netting around the base of the pen, but this particular snake was wary.

 

[SharkmanDan]

I went to the doctor early this morning for blood work and creaky joint complaints. Swelling, stiffness, pain, and popping noises now have a name: a torn meniscus. I get to wear a fashionable knee brace and have been told to use ice packs to bring the swelling down. Were my parents falling apart is early? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I had a horrible shock when I took the tarp off one of the baby pens (25 cuckoo marans chicks). There was a huge black snake coiled up inside the pen, and there were 20 slimy, dead chicks on the ground. Five were missing, so I assumed they were inside the snake. I used my Samuri shovel and turned the snake into eight uneven pieces. Goodness what a horrible stink! I've never know a snake to smell so bad. One of the little ones make a gasping noise when I was collecting the bodies, so I rushed her into the house and did my best to revive her, but she didn't make it. I hate snakes.

I forgot to mention. Regarding your knee. I have torn menisci in both knees, as well as torn ligaments, in each. I understand what you're dealing with. Oil of wintergreen helps a great deal. It's over the counter, smells great, and does a better job for me, than any capsaicin based topical. If that doesn't work well enough for you, try asking your doctor to prescribe lidocaine patches. They help a great deal. Lastly, a friend recently bought a Willow Curve, like Chuck Woolery advertises on TV. He loves it. I want to borrow it, and try it on both knees and both shoulders, to see if I want to buy one. I don't know how well it would work for torn menisci, but, it sure sounds like a better plan than the bi-lateral knee replacement surgery, that my doc wants to do.