# goats and snakes?



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Do goats have any sense whatsoever?

We caught a monster timber rattler this afternoon (http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=196160) and while Birdiegirl was locating a nice clean trashcan for relocating, I'm trying to keep the goats from trying to eat the rattler. The more I pushed them away from it, the more they wanted it. Near the end, I was having to manhandle the snake a bit, to keep it's head away from the goats, and it started rattling. Didn't faze em a bit. This ol snake I daresay woulda put a hurt on one of the goats, if not outright killing it.

Do goats have to die? to learn not to fool with rattlesnakes? Our anatolians had to be 'discouraged' from getting too close... my old dog Buttspot's seen rattlers before and keeps his distance.

I mean really, don't most animules have an instinctual fear/respect for the 'rattle' of a rattler?


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## Feral Nature (Feb 21, 2007)

Hey, nice pics. We have Cane Brake rattlers here that get huge and I am not as nice as you are to them. My Aussie has a snake bark she uses so i always know when she "means it". The pyrs won't touch a snake, just bark. We have many poisonous snakes here, but it's the dang chicken snakes that irritate me. I do fear for my really stupid city visitors though. No snake-dar and poor footwear.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

It was because you were holding it.  They would have been wary of it if it had been on the ground.....but you were holding it so it must be ok, and even better, it might be food!!!


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

my goats want anything I have! or anyone else for that matter. there can also be 10 bowls of food out to feed 6 goats and they all end up in the same one because they figure sombody elses must be better. I enjoy snakes but that one would make my heart beat a little fast if I ran into it. I'm glad all i've ever found here are racers and rat snakes....knock on wood. I can imagine the almost comical frustration trying to fend off a bunch of goats trying to compete to kill themselves. ugh. :frypan: they are such morons sometimes.


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## trappmountain (Jun 22, 2005)

Thankfully, we don't have rattle snakes to deal with here. We do have copper heads. But luckily we have only had to deal with one nest of them here in the 21 years I have lived on this farm. We do get a lot of black snakes and garter snakes though. But they aren't poisoness and usually just scare us when we happen upon them and then they turn tail and run. 

I do remember a story about my sister. Right after she moved to Texas she had gone to the grocery store. She came home and left th front door open as she was bringing groceries in. She finished putting groceries away and heard something. She looked down and saw a rattler on the kitchen floor. She jumped up on the table and then on the counter. Luckily she was near the phone and called the neighbor who dealt with the snake for her. Then told her to NEVER EVER leave the front door open. It was a good lesson for a girl from IL.

I am glad my year living in Texas had NO rattle snake stories attached. I enjoyed my year there.


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## toomb68 (Mar 16, 2006)

trappmountain said:


> Thankfully, we don't have rattle snakes to deal with here. We do have copper heads. But luckily we have only had to deal with one nest of them here in the 21 years I have lived on this farm. We do get a lot of black snakes and garter snakes though. But they aren't poisoness and usually just scare us when we happen upon them and then they turn tail and run.
> 
> I do remember a story about my sister. Right after she moved to Texas she had gone to the grocery store. She came home and left th front door open as she was bringing groceries in. She finished putting groceries away and heard something. She looked down and saw a rattler on the kitchen floor. She jumped up on the table and then on the counter. Luckily she was near the phone and called the neighbor who dealt with the snake for her. Then told her to NEVER EVER leave the front door open. It was a good lesson for a girl from IL.
> 
> I am glad my year living in Texas had NO rattle snake stories attached. I enjoyed my year there.


 umm...where in pa are you? cause i grew up in pa and there are rattle snakes through out the entire state. not common, but definately out there


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## trappmountain (Jun 22, 2005)

toomb68 said:


> umm...where in pa are you? cause i grew up in pa and there are rattle snakes through out the entire state. not common, but definately out there


I am in Allegheny county, near Pittsburgh. Never heard of any in this area and I have lived here for over 30 years.


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