Weird Situation Update (With Pics)

[chilling in muscadine]

Eating egg's is not in a copperhead's diet, So don't blame those snake's. It's the rat snake's doing it. They love egg's and if they find egg's for there food source they will never leave. Rat snake's also eat copperhead's and other snake's. Go figure. It would be nice for me if copperhead's did eat egg's because I would have a constant food source for the six I have. I also have one broadband copperhead from Texas. Very beautiful snake. Great pic's, keep us posted. PEACE

 

[wegotchickens]

Glad you candled and removed any potential stinkbombs, KrisRenee. Hope you have more cute little fuzzies soon!!

 

[KrisRenee]

Chilling in Muscadine, thank you for the info on Copperheads - I am overrun with them!!! Apparently they like to hang out in Bastrop State Park and I am surrounded on three sides by the park. I did get rid of several rock piles to discouage them from living at my place and that has helped some.

We did not see too many rat snakes until the feral chickens started laying eggs in our front gardens so I guess that explains that. I hope they eat all of the Copperheads around me! (sorry) I worry for my mother and the dogs as well as myself because they blend in so well with their environment.

 

[chilling in muscadine]

I went on a snake rescue about an hour ago. In the people's mind that called me the snake was 4 foot long but when I got there it was a foot and a half long copperhead. The snake is safe now with me. One thing to remember about snakes is they will be active early in the morning and late in the evening's. When it's hot they will find a nice cool spot to lay up. Copperhead's have there young in august which are live birth's. The mom doesn't hang around after having them. Come sept. they will become more active because they will be hunting food so they can make it through hybernation. Getting rid of there food source is a way to make them leave. Rat's and mice are attracted to chicken feed so if you have any of them you might want to get that under control. I have a few cat's and that's there job to be mousers. Rat trap's baited with peanut butter work's good. I would never use poison because some other creature might be harmed. Snake's like to hide under thing so if you keep your yard clean and clear of debree they will have to go further to hide. I can't stress this enough, if there food source is gone they will go too. Snake's are more afraid of you than you are of them. Hard to believe huh! If you walk up on a snake and startle it move very slowly to get away. Snake's detect body heat and moving very fast might confuse the snake and it might bite. Snake's will bite if they feel threatned, which make's sence because they are just trying to defend themselve's. They don't want to waste there venom if they don't have too. I wish you were closer because I could definately help you out. Maybe this will ease your mind some. A bite from a copperhead isn't deadly. It will mess your day up though depending on the amount of venom the snake adminster's while biting. They can even give you what's called a dry bite which mean's no venom at all. Try some of the thing's above if they apply to your situation. Maybe they will help. Watch out for snake's around those beautiful biddie's. If I can help you any more just ask. I've studied and handled snake's for 30 year's this year. WOW but guess what? I'm afraid of a grasshopper. What's up with that?????? PEACE

 

[walkswithdog]

Snakes - afraid??? Man you have not met TN Copperheads. Twice now mature copperheads have chased one of us out of the yard. In both cases whacking their freaking nasty heads into the poop shovel REPEATEDLY while we back away!

Now the black snakes and other snakes here behave normally but the copper heads are mean and give chase. Well, they did. The two that were giving chase met my new friend, the Winchester Defender. Since then, neither of us has been chased.

We did eliminate a number of rock and old wood piles as well. Our black snakes are gorgeous and some are 4-6 feet. The little ones are shyer and you rarely see them lying about in the sun the way I do the big blacks.

I preserve every black snake I find. They're easy to live with.

The copperheads all have a date with Winchester when I find them, or they find me.

 

[KrisRenee]

chilling in muscadine, I communicate with Gerald Keown at the Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research on a pretty regular basis for snake identification, behaviors and ideas on getting rid of the snakes. This year has been much better with the Copperheads due to getting rid of brush piles and rock piles but with us living in the middle of the forest, it's pretty tough to get rid of all of the leaves! I am not raking an acre and a half!

I try to chase the few I find back into the woods but you know Copperheads ... those things do not run, they coil up and tell you to "Bring It On!"

I used to leave the rat snakes alone because, well ... they got the rats! They are cool as long as they leave my chickens alone but I'll sic my Chelly on them if they don't - Catahoula who loves to get 'em. He does a quick snatch, whip & drop and he does the same with rats. He leaves the Copperheads alone, thank goodness!

 

[KrisRenee]

As for the hatching biz, I am thinking we are done. She is still setting but there are no more pips and we are two days past the 'due date' even for the last three that were added. I'll give it until tomorrow am because I promised the girls I would do so. It's a nice small number to start with and they are both very healthy so I am grateful (& trying to find the silver lining).

Now ... everyone pray for one cockerel and one pullet or both to be pullets and all will be good!

Here are my nieces with the chicks. Lisa Marie was not very excited by this but she did let me pick them up (must know she is the girls' mother's namesake).

 

[KrisRenee]

We did a 'photo shoot' this am before taking my nieces to the airport. Here are close-ups of the two successful hatches. One of these will become Ms. or Mr. Fluffy Pants (youngest niece in OR who is 4 yrs old).

First Born - quiet & shy.

2nd Born - loud & never sits still.

Shot of them together.

 

[lockedhearts]

Aww they are cute! Love the little "masks" see with my mind I would name them Batman and Robin, because of their little "superhero masks"

I have been following this posts and it's a really great story about the hen and chicks

 

[KrisRenee]

Locked Hearts, I LOVE that!!!

If it wasn't the youngest niece who came up with the other, I would SO do it! (May still ...) She wanted to name mama MISTER Fluffy Pants even though the other five patiently explained to her that it was a girl. I was surprised & touched that the majority wanted Lisa Marie (never entered my head and, even after they suggested it, I thought it might evoke painful memories?) Little weird to be calling a feral chicken by my sister's name ... but what the heck. Might help them? Me, too? My sister in OR says that if I cannot find my mother in the house to check the coop ... she'll probably be out in the coop talking to LM & telling her all of her troubles.

It has been a very long story, I know & thought we would NEVER have chicks! I have been at this since the end of June. A friend of mine suggested another site & I found this through a link there. I am SO glad that I did and am thankful to everyone for all of the advice!