Rattler in the baby coop,, but all birds safe,, it wanted me! (pic)

[froggie71]

Wow!! Who would have thought a milk crate would be a life saver? Glad you are ok. That is scary!

 

[VelvetDragon]

Wow, so scary! Glad EVERYONE is okay.

I've been bit by a lot of snakes (and love them) but never even come close with a venomous one, thank goodness. Glad you were able to keep a clear head.

 

[flgardengirl]

Wow that is really scary. When we first moved here I was out in the garden area(before we got it tilled up and planted) and there is a lot of brush and stuff out there. It is quite a ways from our house. I was walking and heard this rattle and I froze and sure enough there was a small rattlesnake curled up. It was a nice sunny day in March and he was sunning himself. I am so glad he sounded an alert or I would have stepped right on him and got bit. I was home alone too. It is the first rattlesnake I've seen here in FL. I am used to the western diamond backs in AZ and wasn't even thinking about rattlers here even though I know they exist. DH got bit in Kansas while bird hunting. He was wearing high thick leather boots and it attacked the back of his ankle. Luckily it didnt go through but it left two fang marks. SO dh goes and steps on its head and cuts it off with his hunting knife. He hates snakes almost to paranoia but is not afraid to kill them.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Wow that was scary! I recently found out that here in Indiana we have copperheads. Mostly we have black snakes and garter snakes, I was little surprised though to learn about the copperheads. I just made sure to educate my children further. I have two chicken yards set up, one for my bantams, and one for my standards. The ducks are in with the bantams, and between the chickens and ducks, the grass stays low. There are more chickens in that yard anyway. But over in the standards yard, right now there are only 10 birds and the grass is higher because they can't eat all. So my older daughter to push mower and went in there the other day to cut the grass down. She was quite surprised to find shedded snake skins in the grass. She found at least two. I told her the chickens probably ate the snake, lol. I don't know if the copperheads are exactly where I live but there are creeks nearby, and a pond, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were. At that same time I also learned that we have bobcats in the area. I knew we had mink, raccoons, possum, owls, foxes, coyotes, but I didn't know we had bobcats! I also learned that we had badgers. I really hope I never come across one of those! Indiana is not supposed to have mountain lions either, but apparently someone just over the border in an Illinois town had two of them as pets, and when they decided they couldn't afford to feed them anymore, they just released them into the wild. Only one was caught. From time to time the other one is spotted prowling around. I have not seen it yet, and I hope I never do.

I'm cautious around high grass though. I tried to make sure my yard is always mowed down, but the boy we have mowing our yard can't get his riding lawnmower into the ditch at the back of our property, the grasses may be 4 feet tall there. I don't let the kids go back there, or the animals. I don't need them encountering ticks or snakes. And besides, we have a mink living in our sewer drain! In fact, my neighbors two doors down were taking pictures of the mink as he was swimming in the flooded ditch early this week! I guess the flooded his home but he was making the best of it!

 

[Yvonne37894]

WriterofWords
I've heard that guinea's keep the snakes away.
They will kill snakes, ants and ticks.
Maybe you should get some!!
I'm glad you are ok.

 

[WriterofWords]

Thanks all! The time I was bit before Steven was born the snake didn't rattle, this time it didn't rattle either, when they don't have time to think about and have forewarning, they don't warn you they are there they just strike. I try and tell people around here that they can't wait for the rattle, just assume there are snakes in the area, it is the desert, and keep your eyes open. Even though this one didn't break the skin, I've been feeling sick since yesterday afternoon and have been throwing up and have diarrhea. I don't know if it's related or not, but just be careful please!

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Quote:
I really think you should go to the doctor. It sounds like some of the venom may possibly have been absorbed through your skin. Check the area where the fangs hit you and where the venom hit you for any possible breaks in the skin. If skin absorbs water, I believe it can absorb venom too. Please go see a doctor and get checked out just in case.



Don't guineas fly? That's why I personally haven't gotten any yet. Besides the fact that they are loud. My chicken yards are not covered and I can't afford for them to fly away. My neighbor across the street has some and from time to time hers will escape the coop and run, and they go straight to the tallest trees and fly up high into them. I have trees in both my chicken yards. Big, tall oak trees. 40 feet tall. I'd never get guineas out of that!

 

[JP33]

Since your first post about this incident I thought it best you get checked out, and now you're feeling sick. Could be just a coincidence but do you really want to take the chance?


...JP

 

[Mandalina]

Thank god you are ok Kate!That is so so scary!

 

[b.hromada]

Thank goodness you're okay.

Thats super scary stuff.