AAHHhhhh 40" Black snake in nesting box!!

[cacknballs]

View attachment 554880 Figured I would tag onto this thread I created a while ago.

Last night as I was tucking in the girls, I noticed a strange foul odor. Three of the four girls were roosting, one seemed to be a bit nervous pacing on the ground. I was sniffing around and found the odor particularly strong near nesting boxes. I opened a box and low and behold another sizable black snake had swallowed an egg that I could not get back.

I don't want to kill the black snakes around these parts but I don't want them to get a free lunch either. So I reached in grabbed the thief behind the head and gave him a nice toss away from coup as he found that gravity works. He headed back towards coup so he sprouted wings again and again. He flew several times and finally got the hint to head off in a different direction other than the coup.

I still cant help to wonder what the stench was. It was real pungent. Do you think the snake stunk or did the girls? All is well this morning in the Chickmore estate and the stench has gone away side.

Thoughts?

Oh if you peer closely you will see the egg.

what aart said...it was either the defensive musk you smelled or it could have been the snake's feces. that stuff is pretty rank too.

if you want to get rid of the snake without having to kill it yourself just leave golf balls in the nesting boxes. that'll do the trick.

 

[jvls1942]

Yeah, but I bet he will be back after he is done golfing.

 

[Their gram]

I wouldn't pick one up! Any of them can bite, and they have bacteria...or you could mistake the kind of snake it is...

I saw my hens eat a mouse once - horrifying. Ripped it to shreds grabbing it from one another. Horrifying.

 

[Their gram]

if you want to get rid of the snake without having to kill it yourself just leave golf balls in the nesting boxes. that'll do the trick.[/QUOTE]

The golf balls and ceramic eggs I put in the hen yard and house years ago are all still there...I think snakes can tell the diff.

But, I thought eating golf balls and ceramic eggs WOULD kill the snake. Right? I mean, it wouldn't come out the other end, and it would block up their digestive tract...?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I saw my hens eat a mouse once - horrifying. Ripped it to shreds grabbing it from one another. Horrifying.

I wish my chickens would do that. They won't touch one even if I chop it into small pieces. A snake is a different story. And is it ever funny to see them running with glee with a frog hanging from their beak

 

[BigBirdRick]

We have ceramic eggs in boxes as well. None of the snakes went for them.

We have been down on egg production. But truly how many eggs can a small size snake consume?

 

[BigBirdRick]

Happy to report back cacknballs, that none of the perps have been sighted day/night since the snakes learned about gravity . I am hopeful that atleast those 3 will not be returning.

 

[cacknballs]

Happy to report back cacknballs, that none of the perps have been sighted day/night since the snakes learned about gravity . I am hopeful that atleast those 3 will not be returning.

good!! hopefully kinetic energy and gravity will work.

never good to kill a snake (unless you're gonna eat it) but sometimes you have to.

 

[B Redhawk]

View attachment 554880 Figured I would tag onto this thread I created a while ago.

Last night as I was tucking in the girls, I noticed a strange foul odor. Three of the four girls were roosting, one seemed to be a bit nervous pacing on the ground. I was sniffing around and found the odor particularly strong near nesting boxes. I opened a box and low and behold another sizable black snake had swallowed an egg that I could not get back.

I don't want to kill the black snakes around these parts but I don't want them to get a free lunch either. So I reached in grabbed the thief behind the head and gave him a nice toss away from coup as he found that gravity works. He headed back towards coup so he sprouted wings again and again. He flew several times and finally got the hint to head off in a different direction other than the coup.

I still cant help to wonder what the stench was. It was real pungent. Do you think the snake stunk or did the girls? All is well this morning in the Chickmore estate and the stench has gone away side.

Thoughts?

Oh if you peer closely you will see the egg.

You smelled the musk from the snake! They use it to mark territory and to deter predators from eating them. It is pungent but not long lasting like a skunk.

 

[B Redhawk]

In the US it is easy to tell if that snake is poisonous or not. Oval head (as the black racer in the previous photos) no worries. Triangular head, means pit viper ( rattle snakes, copper head, water moccasin/ cottonmouth) There are eastern, western, desert (sidewinder), California and pigmy rattlers, all have distinctive markings and triangular heads. Only the Coral Snake (black touches yellow kills a fellow) doesn't have the triangular head in the US and Canada.