Washingtonians

[cheryl98117]

All my morning farm chores are done, Chloe has had breakfast, and the kitchen is picked up... Im crampy and can feel a migraine coming on. Supposed to go on a 2-4 hour trail ride at some point in time today. I really dont want to, dont really feel like riding. Have to at some point this weekend, go pick up the cat from another BYC'er in Port Orchard. My alergies kicked in last night, so now my head is in the clouds, coughing constantly from the anoying throat tickle, and just feel plain icky...

 

[pettec63]

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I'm so sorry! hope you feel better fast!!!

 

[pettec63]

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I bet that was a good play!!! Have a safe trip to leavenworth!!! show us pics of the eggs when you get a chance???

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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Here it is a good chance it is a snake.

I have already re-home 3' to 4' black snake and a gardener snake. I did see a baby snake and let it be.

 

[Kenshan1]

I just thought this was funny. I let my dogs out to potty before leaving for work. My 5 chickens were gathered around the steps to see if I was going to bring them any food scraps. So the dogs didn't really want to potty so they were standing down with the chickens waiting to see if I was serious about what I told them. So I reminded them to go do their business. My RIR went up to my sheltie & gave her a good hard peck

as if to say get out there & do it. This is the first time my chickens have been that bold. My sheltie jumped away & gave the chicken the look like "if mom wasn't watching I would get you back for pecking me". Not sure I want my chickens that bold, if she had done that to my Jack Russell I don't think he would have just brushed it off.

So what's the best way to get rid of rats? We knew we had one when we put up the bird feeder in May. My hubby's been trying to shoot it with the blow gun, not working lol. He's thinking about getting something a little more serious (gun)...there goes my birthday bird feeder lol. So 2 days ago, I took the garbage out to the road it was dusk, coming back something went scrambling away under our ramp. Startled me. Then I went to the back porch where the bird feeder is & there was 3 rats on the bird feeder. I was ok with 1 kinda but knowing there is 4 I've had enough. My Jack Russell has been opening our cabinet doors in the kitchen under sink & digging at the floor so they are trying to get in the house. So do we just get a bunch of traps & set them out? My concern is in the back yard we let the dogs & chickens out so I'd have to pick up all traps before anyone gets let out each morning. That might get annoying. I know we can't do baits with a dog that will eat dead things the Jack Russell & of coarse the chickens that eat anything.

Shannon

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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Here it is a good chance it is a snake.

I have already re-home 3' to 4' black snake and a gardener snake. I did see a baby snake and let it be.

Not on this side of the mountain: garter snakes only eat pinkies, and anything bigger than a gartersnake is rare to endangered (Rubber Boa) and/or a preferential snake and frog eater (Yellow Bellied Racer). Eastern Washington has a few more big snakes- northern population Pacific Rattlesnake, King Snakes (which are also endangered these days) and bigger subspecies of YBRs for three, but in suburban areas and on the wetside a lack of mice is an indication you have rats, according to the Orkin Man as well as my friends in small-mammal zoology.

Western Washington is way short of herps.

 

[pettec63]

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get a cat!! I've got some of the best gopher huntin mouse eatin cats in the country!!! I have an orange male that rocks!!! He's young cat and he just sits and waits for the gophers at their hole!! I know with a JR they like to chase things so it probably isn't feasible there but, I'm telling ya a good cat or cats, (i've got 4) will whittle the population down for sure!!!

 

[pettec63]

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besides that if you have a jack, they should be great little rat catchers, givesem practice!!!

 

[Ogress]

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Funny dog/chicken story.

We bought 2 rat zappers after having read some rave reviews. They arrived yesterday, so I told Alex to put them in the runs last night. I was looking forwards to my first fried rat, but found nothing in the traps. Then I noticed they were not baited nor turned on. Alex did exactly as he was told, he put them in the runs!

 

[RustyHen]

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Maybe you could place rat traps inside a barrel on its side or a coverd area that the dogs and chooks can't get into, my Dad lived near the river and always kept a small wood pile on the outside of the fence just to catch rats in.