Texas

[hippiestink]

Helo
Helotes is pretty! The SNA near there has such awesome trails.
Very cool you are in Europe I have been reading about a lot of breed back stories. Are there any predators like coons you have to be on guard against? I just lost my first pullet and two packing peanuts to a coon...

I love my hometown. I was born in SA but my heart lives and my formative years were lived in Helotes. We mostly have dogs, cats, and predatory birds to look out for as well as foxes. Coons aren't as common. Luckily our local ravens are kind and fight off the predatory birds.

I always wondered what happened to the "Donkey Lady".......JK.....

My dad was a wiccan and we'd go by Donkey Lady bridge and leave her offerings every Halloween. She's never been a problem for me, unlike the people who go and bug her for a thrill.

 

[1FlewOver]

I was born in San Antonio, too...lived there until I was 13....why I knew about the Donkey Lady.....moved to Ft. Worth so I could keep an eye out for the "Lake Worth Monster"....lol...

 

[tjo804]

Quote: No matter what you do make sure to Quarantine any new birds dont just give her a new friend hoping it is not sick or mean.

 

[1FlewOver]

Hello, all fellow Texans. I am hoping you may be able to assist me! First, my location - I am in the DFW metroplex, in Denton County. Due to my backyard size and town, I had a fairly small flock.  This was fine and worked, chickens were wonderful and happy, and I have worked hard to be a good chicken mom. Sadly, I am now down to one lone EE hen.  Her sister, who had been with her since they hatched, passed away last week.  It was very sudden and she had been very healthy.  As she died in the nest box, I suspect it may have been egg binding although she had been acting wonderfully healthy that very morning.  She was around 4 years old and of course this was so sad, since they are beloved pets. I am very worried about my remaining EE hen being alone. I know they do not do well on their own.

I am not sure what route to go but I wonder if it would be best to acquire a young hen to introduce to her, instead of baby chicks.  I do not want to order started pullets from a hatchery because of the beak trimming.  Forgive my ignorance but I am not sure where to look in my area, since I originally got my birds as chicks.  I was hoping someone in my area may be able to point me in the right direction.  Secondly, eventually I may need to look into rehoming due to an impending move to California where the residential area does not allow for backyard chickens, although codes could potentially change.  This wouldn't be for another year though, so I'm really not sure I want to rehome my remaining hen right now, I think that getting another one would be best, she seems so sad on her own.

Let me know if I should move this post but as this is a Texas thread I am hoping someone might be in my area!

You can have mine if you want to come get it...I'm not kidding...I love that little booger....but it's really not the best time for me to have to deal with it....Let me know...

 

[kenmlang]

This has come into the back of my mind....as if I go forward with chickens...I may well face a dilemma...(notice my avatar) ....I've spent more than ten years trying to educate the people in my neighborhood not to kill these helpful and valuable snakes with Oscar as my living ambassador...handled by a couple of hundred people (most young kids)...

I explained that these are very beneficial creatures and help to keep rodent populations in check and should be left alone....(The major reason they are killed is they are mistaken for copperheads and it's senseless and usless, unecessary destruction of a beneficial creature.... I have a soft spot in my heart for them....even though the Texas variety is possibly the meanest snake alive....

BUT.....Now we have a little different scenario....this snake is actually doing some harm....I would love to come capture and relocate it....but 'Cut and Shoot' is a fer piece away....(BTW: Out of the two.....I recommend "shoot" dealing with this snake. .22 with rat shot will accomplish the task very handily).....

I hate to see any of these magnificent creatures destroyed.....but it's your problem and you have the right to deal with it as you see fit.....Texas will survive with one less misbehaving rat snake.....

It's the idiots that brag about killing a "big copperhead " that was just trying to help rid their trashy butts of vermin that really upset me.....SENSELESS!!!!!

EDIT: BTW: Forgot to mention: 'Oscar' is a 5' Texas rat snake I've raised from a baby....and a real sweetheart....

I appreciate, and respect, your point of view, and I do realize they (snakes) are beneficial to the eco- system, but I live on, and manage 24 acres in southeast Texas. The weather patterns have been bringing the snakes out of the woodwork, so to speak. There isn't a day that goes by, here lately, that my wife or I, have not seen at least 2 snakes, mostly copperheads. I almost syepped on a moccasin the day before yesterday. I have to keep my family and animals safe. If one of us gets bit, it will cost approx. $30,000.00 just for the antivenom. Obamacare does not cover this.

I have been bitten twice in my lifetime, once by a copperhead and once by a moccasin. Neither was any fun. Therefore, if I see a snake close to my house or anywhere near where we have to walk to get things done around here, I will dispatch it without remorse.

 

[1FlewOver]

I appreciate, and respect, your point of view, and I do realize they (snakes) are beneficial to the eco- system, but I live on, and manage 24 acres in southeast Texas. The weather patterns have been bringing the snakes out of the woodwork, so to speak. There isn't a day that goes by, here lately, that my wife or I, have not seen at least 2 snakes, mostly copperheads. I almost syepped on a moccasin the day before yesterday. I have to keep my family and animals safe. If one of us gets bit, it will cost approx. $30,000.00 just for the antivenom. Obamacare does not cover this.

I have been bitten twice in my lifetime, once by a copperhead and once by a moccasin. Neither was any fun. Therefore, if I see a snake close to my house or anywhere near where we have to walk to get things done around here, I will dispatch it without remorse.

I appreciate that....and I have already stated in another thread I kill two different kinds of non-venomous snakes when they try to take up residence in my backyard...needless to say....I wouldn't hesitate to kill a true copperhead or water moccasin on site around my place....(I wouldn't go out of my way to kill one in the wild....

I've been bitten a few times once by my new snake....twice by my other one...once when she was young...and recently by accident....(I was feeding her....and it was a case of mistaken identity) ....she thought she had one of those mice I was throwing in her cage....and...see...thats the other side of the coin....no problem....almost painless....healed in a day....no threat if you leave them alone....and not a big deal if they do nail you.....so killing them is senseless.....copperheads control vermin too....but they need to do it far, far away from human habitation.....

So....If you read above....while not my first choice....I don't even have a problem with someone killing a rat snake if it's actually causing harm.....

 

[TherryChicken]

I appreciate, and respect, your point of view, and I do realize they (snakes) are beneficial to the eco- system, but I live on, and manage 24 acres in southeast Texas. The weather patterns have been bringing the snakes out of the woodwork, so to speak. There isn't a day that goes by, here lately, that my wife or I, have not seen at least 2 snakes, mostly copperheads. I almost syepped on a moccasin the day before yesterday. I have to keep my family and animals safe. If one of us gets bit, it will cost approx. $30,000.00 just for the antivenom. Obamacare does not cover this.

I have been bitten twice in my lifetime, once by a copperhead and once by a moccasin. Neither was any fun. Therefore, if I see a snake close to my house or anywhere near where we have to walk to get things done around here, I will dispatch it without remorse.

I agree, if my son is in danger even if it's just a bite, it'll be dead in a heart beat. I had 5 chickens eaten and 5 killed. Sadly it was from my mom's dog. She now is too old and having too many seizures that keep her a lil unstable, slowly losing eye sight, and technically deaf. So we no longer worry about her getting to the birds (poor girl). We do however see quite a few black rough earth snakes. We were killing at first till we knew what they were. Now we try to re locate it. Easier since they are small

 

[1FlewOver]

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Ok...the pics are out of order....the bite is obviously bloody...then I tied her in a knot for being a dummy...then the next day...looks worse than it was....was pretty much healed the next day....rather be bitten by that snake than my cat....(and they have both bit me).....

 

[orumpoultry]

Around here snakes are allowed to live until they start messing with birds. Only two snakes are killed sight seen: Copperheads, and coral snakes. Both do not live another day.

We lost a dog to a copperhead in March. He was a good dog...

 

[1FlewOver]

Around here snakes are allowed to live until they start messing with birds. Only two snakes are killed sight seen: Copperheads, and coral snakes. Both do not live another day.

We lost a dog to a copperhead in March. He was a good dog...

Yeah....sorry to hear about the dog....but you've got it right....killing harmless snakes out of fear and ignorance causes harm and does no good....funny....people don't go around killing every poodle they see because some pit bull mauls a kid....when it comes to snakes people become illogical....