Jumping the Moon Dairy - the next chapter

babsbag

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I have nothing against snakes but rattlesnakes have no place in my world. I have had them in my hay, twice, and the hay was on a platform 12" off of the ground. I have had them bite Sigueme and a puppy and now Mia and Francis. I have had them coiled, and ready to strike, in the kennel. Too many close and not so close encounters. I have a friend that had a kid (goat) bit last week so I am waiting for that. We have killed three on the new land and obviously there are more. I usually see on or two a year, but so far this year it has been 6. As the new property get eaten down by the goats I am sure the snakes will move on, but my concern is that they will move on to the direction of my garden or orchard. I am thinking of looking for a passel of guineas and turning them loose on the property. Or turkeys. I am overrun by ground squirrels so why aren't the snakes keeping them under control, that is their only useful purpose?
 

ragdollcatlady

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Try a few muscovy ducks.... these guys catch and eat mice and shouldn't think twice about snakes, not sure about larger snakes, but smaller ones for sure. They love going after quick moving dinners and will snatch the critters that slip away from the cats if they can.

Or try a few geese. Geese won't eat them, but they should alert to something like that. They are quite the tattletales of the animal world. Plus they will eat the grasses and weeds down that the goats are less fond of.
 

babsbag

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I was so proud of Mia and Alondra yesterday. They DID NOT eat a baby turkey. :) I have a wild hen that has been sitting for 28 days (the eggs hatched) and I have been guarding her nest, staying our of her way, and putting the fence around her nest so she is on the outside of the new goat pen. I noticed that the eggs had hatched and she was gone so I did some weed eating and running of hot wire to keep LGD in and didn't worry about scaring her anymore.

A few hours later I saw her with no chicks, but I could hear little chirps everywhere. So I rounded up the goats and dogs and moved them out of the new property and that was when a little poult comes walking up the fence. Mia and Alondra give it that "what are you" inquisitive stare and Mia laid down and the little thing comes walking right through the fence and in between her paws. Of course I yelled the leave command which means NOTHING to my LGDs but they didn't hurt it, I was shocked. The BCs would have had turkey snack in a flash. I rescued the baby and walked out to where I could see the hen. She had at least 7 other poults with her. I put the little one down and it made a bee line dash to mama as fast as it could. I love a happy ending.

Today Mia and Alondra decided to sit in the poison oak. The bush is probably 10 x 10 and they climbed right into the middle and sat down. Don't ask me why as I have no idea but that explains the snake bite. Guess I had better start drinking that goat's milk as they are now walking carriers of poison oak for at least the next 2 weeks.

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Latestarter

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Way to go Alondra and Mia! :clap Glad you were able to rescue that (very lucky!) poult :celebrate Not sure why that explains the snake bite... But maybe it's the best shade to get out of the heat?
 

babsbag

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This time of year as it gets warmer the rattlesnakes will be in the dense undisturbed underbrush and that poison oak fits to a "T". In the winter they will be in the same places, burrowed under years worth of decomposed branches and leaves. Parts of this land has been virtually untouched, it is as nature grew it. I am counting on the goats to limb and trim it and make it not so inviting to the snakes. I should have done before and after pictures of the land.

This is what a bunch of contented goats looks like after browsing for 8 hours. They barely got up for their alfalfa dinner. I don't think I have ever seen them this satisfied and lazy.

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