Life on the farm - always interesting

[Ivan Seeking]

Little Tyke [my office cat] came into the office and started making a lot of noise knocking about. Then I realized why: She had brought in a snake that was close to a four-feet long! Cripes! After fighting to keep her away and finally managing to catch the snake by grabbing the tail, as I was heading towards the door, I looked up to see, again, as a best guess, fourteen baby turkeys, and two adults, right outside the door. That was by far the biggest snake, and the most turkeys I have ever seen here all at once, in twenty years.

It certainly made for an interesting moment.

 

[GeorginaS]

Little Tyke has turned into a grown-up cat? Do we get to see big-kitty pictures of her?

What kind of snake lives close to you that grows to four feet long? And how did the cat manage to haul it in?

And, um, turkeys? There's almost something surreal about that whole image. Were they waiting to be let in?

 

[lisab]

Little Tyke has turned into a grown-up cat? Do we get to see big-kitty pictures of her?

What kind of snake lives close to you that grows to four feet long? And how did the cat manage to haul it in?

And, um, turkeys? There's almost something surreal about that whole image. Were they waiting to be let in?

I'm betting it's a garter snake, they can get pretty big. They're lovely :!).

My kitty, Sweet Miss Pheobe, used to capture them...thank goodness she doesn't any more.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Little Tyke has turned into a grown-up cat? Do we get to see big-kitty pictures of her?

http://www.naturesafariindia.com/gifs/liger4.jpg

What kind of snake lives close to you that grows to four feet long? And how did the cat manage to haul it in?

I don't know what it was, but it wasn't a rattler.

And, um, turkeys? There's almost something surreal about that whole image. Were they waiting to be let in?

Yeah, we get them every year, but we've never had this many. I don't know if that was one flock or two hanging out together...

Little Tyke is a very small cat. I don't think we have any recent pictures but I'll post one later this week. She probably hasn't changed all that much since you last saw her except that she is now the mighty hunter. She does eat a lot of field mice and voles; and of course she always wants me to see them first. Then she hides away somewhere close where I can hear the poor little critters screaming their last.

 

[GeorginaS]

I'm betting it's a garter snake, they can get pretty big. They're lovely :!).

I've seen garter snakes before. They lived around where I grew up in Ontario. (Now that I think about it, I can't recall ever seeing a snake out here on the prairies.) But, so, yes, garter snake. Not ever one longer than about six inches, though.

Seriously they can get that big?

 

[GeorginaS]

http://www.naturesafariindia.com/gifs/liger4.jpg

Smarty pants.

Yeah, we get them every year, but we've never had this many. I don't know if that was one flock or two hanging out together...

You mean just roving bands of turkeys?

Little Tyke is a very small cat. I don't think we have any recent pictures but I'll post one later this week.

Last I recall seeing her, she'd just grown a wee bit bigger than the end of your thumb. That she's now a mighty hunter is an amazing rescue story.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You mean just roving bands of turkeys?

I guess...? Wild turkeys show up each year about this time and, for reasons unknown, they disappear just before Thanksgiving. I don't know if the timing of their disappearance each year is a coincidence or not.

When they are very young the cats will go after them. In fact we once saw our cats teaming up with the neighbor cats to corral the flock and then go for the straggler.

Last I recall seeing her, she'd just grown a wee bit bigger than the end of your thumb. That she's now a mighty hunter is an amazing rescue story.

Yeah, it was touch and go for a long time but she is doing great. While she is now disappearing throughout most of the day [sleeping or out hunting], I'm still her mama. She was a year old about April 1st. [wait, maybe that was June 1st... I forget, but just over a year now].

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

An Indian couple moved into an apartment complex I was working at and found some mouse droppings in their apartment. I had to talk with them for about a half hour to convince them the droppings were not from a snake and that snakes are rather rare around here. I suppose with the number of snakes they don't likely get a lot of mice scurrying around in India.

 

[Huckleberry]

An Indian couple moved into an apartment complex I was working at and found some mouse droppings in their apartment. I had to talk with them for about a half hour to convince them the droppings were not from a snake and that snakes are rather rare around here. I suppose with the number of snakes they don't likely get a lot of mice scurrying around in India.

They have a few rat temples in India. Maybe the problem was that they weren't expecting so few droppings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOk8iC-WhwU

India's rats are believed to eat or destroy almost half the grain consumed in India—100 million tons

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947662,00.html

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My snake catcher.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2594/dsc00215uih.jpg

 

[lisab]

My snake catcher.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2594/dsc00215uih.jpg

Wow, look at the huge paws on that bad boy!

Er, um, edit...bad girl!

 

[Pupil]

My snake catcher.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2594/dsc00215uih.jpg

He looks chameleon-ish. Parts of him blend in with the chair.

 

[GeorginaS]

Wow, Ivan, she's changed whole bunches! She turned into a full-sized, healthy looking, kitty. She's still adorable. Thanks for the updated picture. I fell madly in love with her when she was your teeny tiny one and still think she's just grand.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Wow, Ivan, she's changed whole bunches! She turned into a full-sized, healthy looking, kitty. She's still adorable. Thanks for the updated picture. I fell madly in love with her when she was your teeny tiny one and still think she's just grand.

Thanks. Yeah, she is still my baby though.

Like I said, she pretty small... I think about 8 Lbs, and she still won't drink water, but we supplement her diet with milk for cats. When she was a few months old I started noticing that she was looking frail; then I noticed that she never drank [after she went off the bottle]. I put her on Cat Sip brand cat milk and she has been great ever since. I do have to add the caveat that to her, dry food is not food. She will starve to death before she would eat it. So, unfortunatly, we are into canned food. UGH! Then of course it is impossible to keep the other cats out of her food, and so goes the social drama of the cat world.

She is incredibly playful. Only in the last few weeks has she actually given me dirty looks a few times - when I was combing the burrs out of her tail - but otherwise she is nothing but love and play. The last time I took her to the vet, the tech was cracking up. She said that she has never seen a cat try to play while their temperature is being taken!

 

[GeorginaS]

Funny she won't drink water and you have to substitute liquids. I likely mentioned before (not that I'd expect you to remember) that my cat, Bean, doesn't drink water at all either. She used to, when she ate dry food, but then she decided she didn't want to eat it any longer. So she only eats wet food and, with that, quit drinking water. She's perfectly hydrated and her kidneys and bladder perform the way they're supposed to. And I leave fresh water out for her constantly, and change it a couple of times a day for her. I have for, oh, over five years, now. And she won't touch it. I'd not heard of it before.

Little Tyke is a wonderful story. I love that she won your heart so thoroughly.

Now, about these wandering turkeys. Really? That's another thing I've not heard of before. They're wild? Do they eat snakes? Perhaps they'd congregated at your door in search of the snake?

 

[Pythagorean]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyL2vAUVOM0

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Funny she won't drink water and you have to substitute liquids. I likely mentioned before (not that I'd expect you to remember) that my cat, Bean, doesn't drink water at all either. She used to, when she ate dry food, but then she decided she didn't want to eat it any longer. So she only eats wet food and, with that, quit drinking water. She's perfectly hydrated and her kidneys and bladder perform the way they're supposed to. And I leave fresh water out for her constantly, and change it a couple of times a day for her. I have for, oh, over five years, now. And she won't touch it. I'd not heard of it before.

The vet said that cats that eat canned food and don't drink water tend to be better hydrated than cats that eat dry food and do drink water! Kind of tells you what you pay for in that can. Still, she improved noticeably and almost immediately when we put her on the milk. I noticed that she would really go after milk in a cereal bowl, so it seemed worth a try.

Little Tyke is a wonderful story. I love that she won your heart so thoroughly.

I'm a sucker for a cute girl with stripes and spots.

Now, about these wandering turkeys. Really? That's another thing I've not heard of before. They're wild? Do they eat snakes? Perhaps they'd congregated at your door in search of the snake?

I don't know why they land here each year or where they go. They were right outside the door again a few hours ago. If we don't already have a picture that I can post, I will try to get one.

It is too bad that I didn't get a photo of our baby deers this year. When I first spotted the mom and two babies, the little ones were probably only a day or two old. They were tiny.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I didn't spot any turkey pics but I will have to check with Tsu. In case you never saw this one... taken about fifty feet from my office door.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6563/skunks009c.jpg

 

[GeorginaS]

No, I hadn't seen that one. That's quite a bunch of skunks.

 

[lisab]

No, I hadn't seen that one. That's quite a bunch of skunks.

Wow, I read that line before I saw the pic... I love it! It can refer to any of a number of life's crappy situations..."it's quite a bunch of skunks!"

 

[Integral]

I've seen garter snakes before. They lived around where I grew up in Ontario. (Now that I think about it, I can't recall ever seeing a snake out here on the prairies.) But, so, yes, garter snake. Not ever one longer than about six inches, though.

Seriously they can get that big?

No, not a Garter snake (I doubt it anyway) I have never seen one around here longer then about 2". We do have Bull snake that get that big or bigger. BTW I live about 15mi from Ivan.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, not a Garter snake (I doubt it anyway) I have never seen one around here longer then about 2". We do have Bull snake that get that big or bigger. BTW I live about 15mi from Ivan.

Hmmmm, I checked a photo and that doesn't look like the one. In fact if I had seen that I probably would have freaked. They look a lot like a rattler! Pretty sure there was a dead one of those up on the road one day. I thought it was a rattler, which had me a little concerned. I know they have rattlers on the other side of the river.

I am sure about the length as I had to hold my arm up to keep the head from hitting the ground. If it wasn't four feet long, it was close. I know it was a dark color with a red stripe, and [key] a narrow head, but beyond that I'm not sure. It was a rather chaotic moment.

 

[GeorginaS]

I am sure about the length as I had to hold my arm up to keep the head from hitting the ground. If it wasn't four feet long, it was close. I know it was a dark color with a red stripe, and [key] a narrow head, but beyond that I'm not sure. It was a rather chaotic moment.

And then! You were confronted by a band of roving turkeys. Seriously, the image is truly giggle worthy.

 

[maverick_starstrider]

Little Tyke [my office cat] came into the office and started making a lot of noise knocking about. Then I realized why: She had brought in a snake that was close to a four-feet long! Cripes! After fighting to keep her away and finally managing to catch the snake by grabbing the tail, as I was heading towards the door, I looked up to see, again, as a best guess, fourteen baby turkeys, and two adults, right outside the door. That was by far the biggest snake, and the most turkeys I have ever seen here all at once, in twenty years.

It certainly made for an interesting moment.

That's cool. My cat mostly just distracted me while reading and begged for food.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

And then! You were confronted by a band of roving turkeys. Seriously, the image is truly giggle worthy.

Hence the thread. Life on the farm can be quite interesting and amusing.

Would you like to know the specifics of cow mating rituals?

 

[GeorginaS]

Do tell.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Well, you see, it all begins when the bull walks up behind the cow and gets water-hosed, if you will, right in the face. Apparently this constitutes foreplay...

I can't even bring myself to describe what billy goats do, but it has to be one of the most pathetic mating rituals you have ever seen.

 

[GeorginaS]

Well, you see, it all begins when the bull walks up behind the cow and gets water-hosed, if you will, right in the face. Apparently this constitutes foreplay...

I can't even bring myself to describe what billy goats do, but it has to be one of the most pathetic mating rituals you have ever seen.

I hardly know what to say. And that doesn't happen often. But, hey, I asked.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I hardly know what to say. And that doesn't happen often. But, hey, I asked.

The first time Tsu and I saw this we about died laughing. Yes, sometimes it gets a bit rough around here.

Just be glad I didn't describe the billy goats. If the cow story left you speechless, the goat story would leave you deaf.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm laughing here reading Ivan's version of life on the farm, and Georgina's reaction to it.

Are you sure Little Tyke doesn't drink water? I used to think Ember really didn't drink water, until discovering she just didn't drink it from the water dish...she prefers the toilet.

I'm waiting to see if I get a lot of turkeys in my yard. The neighbor who moved out shortly after I moved in (unrelated) told me that my yard used to be the one that all the turkeys gathered in before the property was finally sold (I'm on the last lot that was developed on the street). The deer started showing up shortly before I left the country (I feel obligated to have some venison this year since I've been helping fatten them up with my garden vegetables), so maybe the turkeys will soon follow.

Of course, our turkey hunting season opens about a month before Thanksgiving I think, so we don't see so many turkeys by that time of year. I saw quite a lot in spring, though. There's a spring hunting season too, I think, and soon after it's over, they all come back out again. There are some fields I pass on the way from the new house to work where the turkeys gather (as opposed to the type of turkeys with offices near mine), and in one of them, I have seen rather large flocks with more than one male strutting his stuff.

And, hmmph, just shows what Ivan knows about cattle behavior. The bull sniffing the cow while peeing isn't foreplay, that's him just finding out if she's interested in foreplay. The bar scene for cattle is pretty rough.

 

[Redbelly98]

No, not a Garter snake (I doubt it anyway) I have never seen one around here longer then about 2".

2" or 2' ?

Hey, did you used to play in the band Spinal Tap?

 

[lisab]

2" or 2' ?

Hey, did you used to play in the band Spinal Tap?

Ahahahaaa...

 

[Integral]

2" or 2' ?

Hey, did you used to play in the band Spinal Tap?

Opps It really should be ' (ft) . I must not have had my contacts in. Typing blind leads to difficult proof reading.

 

[lisab]

Opps It really should be ' (ft) . I must not have had my contacts in. Typing blind leads to difficult proof reading.

Spinal Tap is one of my favorites .

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hah, got em. However, we have even more now. As near as I could tell we have twenty-two including three adults, so I guess the moms hang out together with the kids. You can't see all of them here but a good number are in view. Some are still down in the creek in the foreground. I had a chance of getting much closer until the cats started to help.

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/2934/turkeys.jpg

Er, I guess there must be at least one tom in there?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm laughing here reading Ivan's version of life on the farm, and Georgina's reaction to it.

Hey you, how is Mozambique?

Are you sure Little Tyke doesn't drink water? I used to think Ember really didn't drink water, until discovering she just didn't drink it from the water dish...she prefers the toilet.

It seems that on very rare occasions she will taste some water, but that's about it. Given that she spent most [99.9%] of the last year within ten feet of me, yes, I'm sure.

I'm waiting to see if I get a lot of turkeys in my yard. The neighbor who moved out shortly after I moved in (unrelated) told me that my yard used to be the one that all the turkeys gathered in before the property was finally sold (I'm on the last lot that was developed on the street). The deer started showing up shortly before I left the country (I feel obligated to have some venison this year since I've been helping fatten them up with my garden vegetables), so maybe the turkeys will soon follow.

Of course, our turkey hunting season opens about a month before Thanksgiving I think, so we don't see so many turkeys by that time of year. I saw quite a lot in spring, though. There's a spring hunting season too, I think, and soon after it's over, they all come back out again. There are some fields I pass on the way from the new house to work where the turkeys gather (as opposed to the type of turkeys with offices near mine), and in one of them, I have seen rather large flocks with more than one male strutting his stuff.

I don't even know if people around here hunt turkeys.

And, hmmph, just shows what Ivan knows about cattle behavior. The bull sniffing the cow while peeing isn't foreplay, that's him just finding out if she's interested in foreplay. The bar scene for cattle is pretty rough.

Maybe that explains what I was doing wrong back in my dating days.

 

[GeorginaS]

I'm laughing here reading Ivan's version of life on the farm, and Georgina's reaction to it.

Hey! What? So itinerant bands of turkeys showing up on people's doorsteps demanding the release of a snake is normal day-to-day life for you. Just wait until you see what appears on your front step in Beira. (That will likely make me post one of these too.)

Nifty shot of the turkeys, Ivan. I've seen lots of stuff wandering around wild but never turkeys. I guess I thought they were entirely domesticated, like chickens or cows, and didn't still exist roaming freely going about their own business. Hah! Now picture that. Flocks of wild chickens on the prowl. Then I'd be afraid to go out at night.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I've seen lots of stuff wandering around wild but never turkeys. I guess I thought they were entirely domesticated, like chickens or cows, and didn't still exist roaming freely going about their own business. Hah! Now picture that. Flocks of wild chickens on the prowl. Then I'd be afraid to go out at night.

Did you know that up until probably the 1970s, there were wild camels in California?

 

[GeorginaS]

Did you know that up until probably the 1970s, there were wild camels in California?

No, as a matter of fact, I didn't know that. How is it that you possesses that bit of information? :)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, as a matter of fact, I didn't know that. How is it that you possesses that bit of information? :)

Some turkey told me about it.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=123292

Having grown up in S. California, that one took me back a bit. I cannot even imagine the reaction if, during one of the many nights spent under the desert sky, a camel had walked into our camp. If someone had claimed to see a camel they would have never lived it down.

I guess I will have to change the name of this thread to "life on the farm". Somehow we got off track here.

I may have just gotten a couple of good shots of our baby deer. They were watching me as I was slowly approaching them, and they even seemed a little curious, but then, as luck would have it, the turkeys came running over and scared the deer!

 

[Math Is Hard]

http://www.naturesafariindia.com/gifs/liger4.jpg

I see Tsu let her hair grow out. And are you sporting a soul patch, Ivan?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I see Tsu let her hair grow out. And are you sporting a soul patch, Ivan?

Yes, do you like it?

It becomes clear that one approaches a deer in a completely different manner than one does a wild turkey. I have been practicing my approaches for about ten years now and can often get very close. This one was looking really good. The two fawns were curious and one even started to walk towards me. Unfortunately, the turkeys didn't like my deer approach! They came around the chicken coop and freaked when they saw me, which sent the deer runnning.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8065/deer1r.jpg

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/5992/deer2i.jpg

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/7402/deer3.jpg

It's just one thing after another around here!

 

[GeorginaS]

The turkeys are a menace!



I love that third picture of the turkey stampede with the deer.

 

[MATLABdude]

Did you know that up until probably the 1970s, there were wild camels in California?

Did you know that camels did most of their evolving in North America? Stuff went the other way back across the Bering Bridge, too!
http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/mystery/fg_camel.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel

However, I think the camels you ran into were feral ones that had been imported (the only camelids left in the americas are the alpacas and llamas).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelidae#Evolution

Stuff you learn surfing the web / Wikipedia at 3 in the morning...

EDIT: And two other species, which I'd never heard of, the guanacos and vicunas. Still, I wonder why they went extinct here? Bactrians handle cold pretty well.

 

[Redbelly98]

2" or 2' ?

Hey, did you used to play in the band Spinal Tap?

Ahahahaaa...

Ha ha, I wondered if anyone would remember.

 

[OmCheeto]

I love that third picture of the turkey stampede with the deer.

Reminds me of a Spielberg movie.

http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/jurassic-park-4.jpg

Perhaps you should open up your farm as a theme park.

StatutoryApe could send a mountain of mouse poo for the tourists to dig through and try and determine if the mice are sick.

I'm not sure how to display the cow and goat sex. Perhaps you could put them in windowless metal cages and just let the noises scare everyone to death. And maybe slowly lower a live snake into the cage with a crane and pull out a snake skeleton. I've heard goats will eat anything.

But the turkey and deer stampedes I'm sure would be the main attraction.

hmmmm... Tsuassic Park?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

However, I think the camels you ran into were feral ones that had been imported (the only camelids left in the americas are the alpacas and llamas).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelidae#Evolution

The link that I posted explains that they were camels turned loose by the US Camel Corp; a former entity of the US military. They roamed the deserts of the SW US for many years.

Going waaaaaay back, here in Oregon we also had three- and four-toed horses.

 

[fileen]

We have loads of wild turkeys (and gigantic garter snakes) in my area also. The people across the road from us have a weird ornamental bush that grows berries, and its always good fun in the fall the watch the turkeys jumping up and down to grab the berries. Its possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. they hunch down and then sproing! Be careful handling garter snakes, they do bite and they excrete a stinky oil on their skin when you stress them out that just does not come off!

 

[lisab]

We have loads of wild turkeys (and gigantic garter snakes) in my area also. The people across the road from us have a weird ornamental bush that grows berries, and its always good fun in the fall the watch the turkeys jumping up and down to grab the berries. Its possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. they hunch down and then sproing! Be careful handling garter snakes, they do bite and they excrete a stinky oil on their skin when you stress them out that just does not come off!

fileen, that post just brought back a lot of memories that are actually very pleasant, except for the smell. I know that oily stinky stuff very well...sort of a cross between musk and urine.

After a day of playing with snakes, I'd have to find a sleeping position that kept my hands away from my nose. It was a bad smell but it never stopped me from playing with snakes!

Thanks for that post , haven't remembered that for years.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I was doing some checking and it appears that I must have seen an unusually large garter snake. Normally they only get up to about 3 feet long, which is about the biggest snake I'd seen around here until now [less the bull(?) snake up on the road].