Rattlesnakes and cattle

[dexterlady]

Good morning to all. Has anyone had any of their cattle bit by a rattle snake? I am asking this question because, we may be leasing some land from a friend ( 18-19 acreas) and it is all pasture. It has not been grazed for over a year. we went over to look at the land last night and it is a nice field. It was suppose to be shred by the last guy that leased it but he hasn't shredded it yet and his lease is up on the first. It does have a rattle snake den on it. It is by a small oak tree and I took a picture of it. Now my questions are: 1. Should we shred this property first before putting our cows on it, to maybe get rid of some of the snakes? The grass has grown pretty tall. 2. Has anyone had their cattle bit by a rattler? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, do we need a contract? I have never leased land , so I do not know what to ask for or offer. I know if our cows break the fence, it would be our responsibility to fix it, but that is all I know.
Thanks in advance for your advice..........Donna

[northstar]

When I was a child, my Guernsey calf, Star, was bitten on the nose by a copperhead. I don't know how their venom compares to rattlers. Star's whole muzzle swelled up at least double, I could barely get her halter off her, but she got over it without a vet's visit in about a week. Now I live in Alaska, no snakes, just bears. They kill several cows around here every year.
Too bad you couldn't run hogs on the land, they'll kill rattlers.
Marsha

[dexterlady]

Thanks Marsha for your reply. I can't run hogs on it because it is not my land. But we have a lot of wild hogs on peoples land down here in Texas, maybe some will get over to this place on their own! LOL...Does anyone know how to get rid of rattlers besides shooting them? Thanks........Donna

[kansasdexters]

Hi Donna,

We have plenty of rattlesnakes around our place and none of our cattle have ever been bitten by one of them. The cows make enough noise and vibration on the ground when they walk that the snakes move away before the cows can step on them. I always wear knee high boots whenever I'm in the field and I'm always cautious when walking in the wooded and rocky areas where these snakes tend to hang out. Rattlesnakes would rather flee than fight, so if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. The rattle is their warning that you are getting too close. If you hear it and back off, they won't come after you. Any rattlesnake that we find on our driveway or in the chicken house, we kill with a square bottom shovel (we don't shoot them!).

Patti

[dexterlady]

Thanks Patty for your reply. I don't usually bother snakes if they are not rattlers, but I'm scared to death of rattlers because I cannot hear their rattle. I am tone deaf and the sound of a rattlesnakes rattle , I just cannot hear until I am on top of them. I have not ever been bitten ( YET!!! Thank GOD) but I could be very easily. I will not be walking this land very often , but when I do, I will be very cautious, and my husband will be with me, with a big stick! I wish I could just get rid of all of them. But more would come back anyway. There are woods all around the area. Plus the neighbor just had some of his land cleared.. Well, we will put the cows over there and HOPE the snakes hear the vibration of their walking. I would just flipp if one of our cows got bit! i'll let you know how things go. Thanks again for your input.....Donna

[thegoodag]

Here it TX with all the hogs, rattlesnakes are starting to learn not to rattle. The snakes rattle is like a dinner bell for the hogs. I have not seen this personally as we "only" have cottonmouth, copperhead and corals on our place but have heard / read about the non-rattling rattlers for the last several years.

[dexterlady]

Thanks thegoodag. Now I will really have to be careful. We also have corals, cottonmouths, and copperheads around but not seen very often. Copperheards are usually around snady areas, cottonmouths around water like ponds and lakes, don't know where corals hang around. Just know we killed one ( one in11years)corral at the end of our driveway. But we also keep our grass short. Guess I will just have to look at the ground closer.....Thx. again

[laughingllama75]

yeesh. All this poisonous snake talk, makes me glad I'm in NH. We have Timber rattlers here, but only in one area and they are protected (VERY low numbers). I am not afraid of snakes, but all this talk of coral, cottonmouth and copperheads gives me the willies!

[summerbummer]

it is possible for a snake to kill a cow....we had ours die from one today....,and it was in the stomach..so after it was bitten, its stomach started to swell from the poison.......but I'm not 100% shur about my reply so don't take mine 100%(so pls don't get mad if I'm wrong)...