Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

What's the deal with the rattlers & bun shed???
That's scary. I'd be a nervous wreck.

The buns spill food so that has attracted rats and ground squirrels. I think I got the rats to go away but the ground squirrels are persistent. The rattlesnakes are attracted to the rodents and keep hanging out in the zone.

I don't go out there unless I am wearing my high boots and now I have a snake grabber tool I carry too. I always have my phone with me too so I can call for help if needed.

The new bunny barn still hasn't been built or even ordered. The building pad is mostly ready but hubby still needs to finish it. I am planning on buying a building kit for a metal building 18'*30', with two man doors and a full size equipment door on one end.

 

[SageHill]

I don't go out there unless I am wearing my high boots and now I have a snake grabber tool I carry too. I always have my phone with me too so I can call for help if needed.

We've got grabbers at the house and the barn and flat blade shoves close to the grabbers.
When I'm out traipsing around and weed whacking and such I've got steel toed boots and snake gaiters.

 

[Mini Horses]

Makes my big rat snakes seem tame! hate snakes.

 

[Ridgetop]

Heard a story from a fellow rabbit breeder years ago - her husband went out to the rabbit shed at dusk and was going to feed without turning on the lights. At last minute decided to switch them on and found he was face to face with a giant rattler on top of the rabbit cages! Luckily was able to get tout of there without getting bitten.

With that many rattlers in the bunny barn, I think I would buy some kingsnakes and release them. I know it is frowned upon by ecologists, but kingsnakes would keep the rattlesnake population down. And it could be considered "natural control".