surprise in the coop

[D'Angelo N Va.]

WOW great story and happy ending...especially with the snake meeting it's maker.

 

[b.hromada]

Glad you all turned out okay!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Oh No!! That is crazy!! We found our first rattler of the season yesterday...looked more than a couple of weeks old too. Seems kind of early since it's been so cold out. Glad you're
okay and not laying in a hospital...your hen too!!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

First off, I am very glad you did not get bitten!
Secondly, where is Garden Valley? Im in Sac . . .

I know a thing or 2 about rattlesnakes, and if you are in northern pacific(or Crotalus oreganus) rattelesnake country, you are very lucky you didnt get bitten.
If you are down south more, the S pacific is just as nasty, but there are also of a handful more of less dangerous species to run into down there.

The Northern has the 2nd worst venom, drop for drop toxicity, only behind the mojave.
The diamondbacks are just big and pump ALOT of venom.

Rattlers are waking up right now, looking for food, and looking for mates.
They will give birth in the late summer/early fall to about a dozen or so live babies.
If you saw a small one, it is probably last seasons young, do you know how many buttons were on its rattle?
A baby snake will shed about every 1-2 months, and gets a new rattle each shed, by the time its about 2-3 yrs old, it is full grown and sheds maybe 1-2x a year, still getting a new button each shed.

I keep 3 different species as pets, including 2 northerns I caught as babies 3yrs ago.

Rattlesnakes are beautiful and useful creatures, and would really rather eat a rat or mouse than a chicken.
They are also very dangerous animals, and some of the species in Ca can kill a person for sure.
I think the gopher snakes and rattlesnakes are the best rodent control out there.

Some fun facts:
A large, older rattlesnake would wayy rather get away from you than bite you.
It is a huge tax on their body to produce venom, and an older wiser snake knows its value.
You are 5x more likely to get a dry bite from a large snake, than from a smaller snake.
Rattlesnakes are VENEMOUS, producing an injectable venom, they are not poisonous, you can eat them and not get poisoned.
Some rattlesnakes have nuerotoxins, some have hematoxins, the nasty few have both.
Rattlesnake TASTES GREAT, just like chicken!!!

I like rattlesnakes . . .

I cannot fault anybody for killing a rattlesnake close to their house.
If you have a dog, Id invest in the vaccine, it works miracles.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Quote:
Well, thanks for sharing that info. I don't hate snakes, but I would have peed myself if I were panner. I love Alaska.

 

[scarlsens]

Ugg....how scary! I'm glad everything turned out well and you or your chickens weren't hurt

 

[tammyd57]

I'm so glad you didn't get bitten!

I have a rattlesnake that just moved into my yard shed last week. He is hiding out in there pretty good cuz I can't find him, just hear him every time I open the door. He's in the back corner behind some large pieces of furniture I can't move by myself.
Needless to say, I'm VERY careful where I put my hands and feet when I have to go in there. I'm not going to look for him too much for another couple of weeks though, long enough for him to thin out my mouse population a bit, then he'll have to go.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

@Chickenwhisperer: The rattler in my yard here in San Diego had two buttons. We don't kill them, we move them to BLM property. We have had one dog bitten...just one week after she had taken a rattlesnake avoidance training course. She was a terrier...no need to say anything else!

She survived after 7 vials of antivenom. The dogs are all vaccinated now, in fact, you just reminded me to get their booster. We have found adult snakes on the property and they are huge but by far we find the babies. We live on an earthquake fault so there are lots of underground fissures that make great
snake dens. We have a small community of about 5,000 regulars and I know of several personally that have taken a bite. Just last year a friend was gardening in flip-flops and was bit on the foot. When we
are outside during rattlesnake season we wear our cowboy boots.

@panner123: You ought to send that story in to "Reader's Digest"...you'll make a some green and it would definitely entertain folks.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Hey KKH, do you know the guys name that taught the avoidance class?
Are you down in S Ca?

One of my buddies from down there out in the desert teaches an avoidance class.

I have a jack russell terrier who loves to go to ground after any small animal, he has been bitten a few times now and is no worse for wear.
Even my buddy admitted that my dogs' resolve was just too much for him to train out . . .

I wonder if its the same guy?

If you seen a 2-button snake this time of year, it was most probably a late birth from last year, just in time to aestivate.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

And I in NO WAY recommend anybody to try to "save" a ratter, I love them but they are dangerous and completely understand the need to kill them sometimes.
I couldnt ask anyone to pickup and remove a known definate rattlesnake.