Texas

[Lacy P]

That is so cool! I am not a fan of snakes at all. I always worry I am going to go collect eggs and find one in the nest.

 

[ChicKat]

i got to meet one of the chicken snakes and when i tried to stab it i knocked the wall out behind it and it got away hopefully it wont return soon or at least i got my pellet gun close. messed up part is my brother walked in 5 minutes after me and he saw it and ppointed it out to me. i honestly thought he was joking at first too

good luck. They are fast - they seem smart - and in motion would be really difficult to shoot IMO -- and then you have to be careful if chickens are around. It doesn't make it easy. I was just thinking maybe a net on a pole -- net being fine enough mesh the snake couldn't get out. scoop it up. sometimes I catch a reluctant chicken with a net with a long pole -- or a mean rooster and it works well -- but the netting -- a snake could probably get out of. Other thing is that they (snakes) can get tangled up in bird netting --






That snake was so twisted into the bird netting that he seems to have killed himself. -- Put bird netting over the welded wire so it would be a safe coop for chicks and grow-outs.

 

[elevatedruby]

well if i had my pg with me i would have had so many shots ray charles knew when to shoot for akill. the ones around where im at are slower and can chickens eat snake meat if i cook it and give it to them. may throw a snake instead of a shrimp on the barbie. lol and we are actually having a bbq today too coincidentaly exatly where this guy is at... hehehehe

 

[TexasLisa]

My brother's graveside service was beautiful. Military honors. All he would have wanted. Taps, gun salute and presentation of our flag to his sons. Thank you to the Color Guard that executed it flawlessly with honor and grace.

I am sorry for your loss.

still too mudy here.... yep, Mercy is always good. ;O) ...Got 5 cups of grapes yestarday -- (mine are all wild growing) -- and there's a lot out there.....

You said your Muscadines were growing wild. You don't prune or do anything to them? My husband wants to do this the easy way.

 

[ChicKat]

I am sorry for your loss.

You said your Muscadines were growing wild. You don't prune or do anything to them? My husband wants to do this the easy way.

They are in the woods and the brush and were here when I got the property - also dewberries and also 'walking onions' or 'wild garlic' depending on how you call it. Also have found a PawPaw tree -- which I'm excited about because zebra swallowtail butterfly caterpillers need to have that plant to eat to grow.


looks like boarder brush and the grapes are aggressive

a little closer -- the flowers in there belong to 'beauty berry' or 'spanish Mulberry' aka 'french mulberry' - isn't a mulberry at al from what I can tell - - you can see the grape vines on the ground trying to find some more plants to climb up...

Then zoom in and you can see the grapes-- they grow in ones and twos and sometimes threes. If they have more in a clump they could be hybridized -- Leaves are shiny because it is wet out...... It may not be a look that you want in your yard. ;O) -- I have about 2/3 or more of my property in woods and intend to leave it that way -- infact even trying to get some of the front yard to go back to woods...no mowing there. IF the plant has a strong root - I think you could wack it back pretty severely and still get grapes the next year. Only the female plants have grapes -- and only some years. Last year I didn't have one - year before I got two green-grape pies worth.

I think your husbands careful approach could result in good grapes -- This is an instance were I got lucky -- and this is a reward for all our rain rain rain rain. An old timer told me they only will bear in wet years. (although last year started out wet)-- some fruiting plants (like an old pear tree) seem to be on every-other-year cycles...maybe my grapes are like that.

 

[TexasLisa]

Thank you ChicKat!

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I guess I need to find more .44 snake shot. Just shot another snake.

 

[TexasLisa]

I ran across another one today but didn't have my gun handy. By the time I came back, the varmint was gone.

 

[Ren2014]

Yep, look like the summer pattern has returned. We will feel the heat and dryness for the next 10 days. At least, no more muddy ground and the chicken can scratch now. Watch out for hole in chick cage that snake can get in; I lost a few like this so far.

We think it came up the ramp through their door

My brother's graveside service was beautiful. Military honors. All he would have wanted. Taps, gun salute and presentation of our flag to his sons. Thank you to the Color Guard that executed it flawlessly with honor and grace.

Sorry for your loss.

still too mudy here.... yep, Mercy is always good. ;O) ...Got 5 cups of grapes yestarday -- (mine are all wild growing) -- and there's a lot out there.....

I have muddy ground and sprinkles today...also rain got in some of the feeders....drat. Summer pattern? snakes? --

. good advice about the holes...sorry that you lost some chicks.

Heard about a flock of chickens herding a rattle snake into the woods away from their owner -- kind of a cool story.-- Couldn't find that video - it was a team effort by the old hens -- cool to watch.
Here's a hen killing a baby sidewinder:

This video - shows a chicken snake shaking its tail like it was a rattle snake...and interesting how when the snake stops running and starts attacking back.

Hate when they do that -- they become fearsome IMO.
Maybe try Craigs list, or a local feed store bulletin board... you could also check your local paper and even put a wanted ad at your feed store or in your paper. Barring success from that -- try to contact someone around who has chickens -- like people who sell roadside eggs. Although they don't usually want to part with their chickens -- it could be that you could get a laying hen that way. Good luck with your quest -- and let us know about your success with it.

Thanks for sharing the videos. I have not been back in the chicken coop since that one rattled it's tail at me. My DH collects all eggs now, lol.

i got to meet one of the chicken snakes and when i tried to stab it i knocked the wall out behind it and it got away hopefully it wont return soon or at least i got my pellet gun close. messed up part is my brother walked in 5 minutes after me and he saw it and ppointed it out to me. i honestly thought he was joking at first too

They aren't aggressive until messed with and then they can slither like lightening.

he doesn't return.

I ran across another one today but didn't have my gun handy. By the time I came back, the varmint was gone.

Snakes and Rain, Rain and Snakes.... I'm tired of this already!

 

[RonC]

It came some heavy rain today on Dallas. It's slacked off for now. I have come to the conclusion nothing I can do short of completely enclosing it will keep my chicken run dry. Just glad it's not in a low spot