Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Ridgetop]

We have never had a rattlesnake anywhere on our southern California property or the entire ridge line on the north side of Sunland Boulevard. The story goes that half a mile away was a huge poultry farm about 60 years ago. The owner was terrifed of rattlers so he bought 100 King snakes and released them. On the south side of Sunland Boulevard Rattlesnakes are everywhere and in the wash they are common but in our neighborhood we have never seen one! We have seen King snakes, Gopher snakes, and a huge black snake. I don't like raleasing species int the wild from human breeding, but may look into buying some King Snakes to release on the Texas Ranch if we have a big problem.

 

[fuzzi]

I've removed 2 rat snakes this yr, same day. About 7 footers. They aren't venomous but do have attitude issues! . Dislike them a lot! No grabber but, a can of wasp spray & machete did the job.

I don't kill them, they eat rats and mice and other snakes.

 

[Mini Horses]

And eggs!!! they're not welcome.

Don't go in the hen house!! Only other snake I've ever seen here is a king snake....he lived

Might eat mice if I didn't have a dozen cats who do

 

[farmerjan]

And eggs!!! they're not welcome.

Don't go in the hen house!! Only other snake I've ever seen here is a king snake....he lived

Might eat mice if I didn't have a dozen cats who do

And very small chickens ... Have had both black snakes and rat snakes kill and eat the very small sized bantams that my son raises.... and will get chicks too. I have nothing against them as long as they are NOT in close proximity to the poultry....

 

[Baymule]

On BYH years ago, someone posted pictures of snakes caught in a roll of chicken wire. They had left it next to chicken coop and found several snakes caught in it.

 

[Ridgetop]

I have heard stories of people finding snakes inside rabbit cages in rabbitries - the snake got in and killed and ate a rabbit. The bulge of undigested rabbit meant the snake couldn't get back out of the cage!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Hubby and I went a little crazy at Home Depot and Green Acres this weekend. Home Depot had bareroot fruit trees 25% off. We ended up getting 4. A Pink Lady apple, and 4 in 1 varieties of pear, apple, and cherry. Then we had to dig holes once we got home. Thankfully hubby's father is letting us borrow the excavator, so hubby knocked out the holes pretty quickly. Then, as we were finishing up and trying to put hoops around the trees a group of 6 deer showed up and watched us.

At Green Acres I bought some new grape plants, lavender, and a ton of veggie seeds. Got home and pulled out my seed stash and a lot of what I bought I already had from last year. I'm hoping it's not too late to start seeds for transplant, I wanted to start them at the beginning of this month. Hubby wants a ton of tomatoes and peppers, I'd like to actually try to can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce this year, hubby uses a lot of it while cooking.

We also got a Mortgage Lifter tomato and a 6 pack of Early Girl tomato starts. I'm hoping they will do ok for a few days and we can get them in the dirt.

 

[Mini Horses]

Good to see ya post . Been a while, how are things going there? Kids doing well.?

 

[Baymule]

Good to see you here, life gets busy doesn’t it. Home canned tomatoes are the best! Cook it down for spaghetti sauce, toss in mushrooms, onion, whatever, can use as a soup base too.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Kiddos are doing well, kid 1 is in preschool now, finally starting to act like a nice little boy instead of a rampaging terror. Still working on him though. He is also refusing to poop on the potty. He'll go pee just fine, absolutely refuses to poop except in his pullups. Even bribing with candy gets nothing. It's been months. Hubby is fed up, wants to make him wear underwear so he really feels it, except I don't think it's going to work since he knows exactly when he poops and immediately asks to be changed.

Kid 2 is practically running everywhere. He's 18 months now. He's still not talking much but I think it's because I and both grandmas know him so well he doesn't need words to be understood.

Still working on kid 3, we are at 33 weeks and it's a girl! I'm feeling huge but I think my belly was a little bigger at this point with the boys. I think she's carrying more sideways instead of front to back like they were. She is making it difficult to get stuff done around the house. Only 5-7 more weeks to go.