AAHHhhhh 40" Black snake in nesting box!!

[BigBirdRick]

Back a couple months ago, my wife Joyce and our daughters (meet them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1150316/hey-yall-from-fort-mill-s-c ) went to look in on our girls, They saw this little guy checking out the new "digs" apparently in his yard, seeing that we are relatively new to raising backyard chickens. I don't believe he enjoyed a free feast yet.




I went to feed our girls their morning greens and fruits the next day, this is usually when I collect our delicious gifts from the nesting boxes. Oh boy, and I mean OH BOY did I ever get a surprise when I lifted the lid! I generally just start reaching into box without fully looking where my hand is going. Just as my hand was going in I caught a glance of something that did not look normal and "half black egg". As I looked closer, WHOA a 40" black snake was about to enjoy one of our girls "gifts" as we call them here. Needless to say. the lid slammed shut! I took a deep breath and thought for a moment.I lifted the lid once again and propped it open. I reached in again, grabbed the prep right behind his head with my left hand, grabbed ahold of the not half swallowed egg with my right hand. I won't say it was an epic battle of ownership, but it was like a good game of "Battle Ship". He clamped down harder, I also dug in my heels and the tug of war began. Sorry, no pictures my hands were a bit busy and the black snake wasn't up to posing for a selfie with me

I know you all are wondering...... Big Bird Rick WON!!!!! I saved the "gift" one of our girls blessed us with!



In the end, the black snake although left hungry, he did not loose his head. I gave him a few "love taps" with the seen stick to make him feel unwelcomed in the coop. He has not been sited even remotely close. He lives across our street comfortably in the woods. We believe in "Live and let Live"!

Thanks for reading.

 

[Nardo]

Bad wake up call. I've found opposum and rats and the occasional snake in the yard but never one where I was about to put my hand.

 

[Zoomie]

Wow! Congratulations on your win, @BigBirdRick !! Also, welcome to the BYC!

Very glad to have a victorious snake battler on board!

 

[BigBirdRick]

LOL "snake battler"!

When we first moved into our home a 7' black snake found a hole he could sneak through and get in our house. Only on really hot days he came in to relax in the A/C. I chased him off with a bigger stick he didn't loose his head either. That was over 12 years ago, Joyce still has nightmares to this day.

 

[BigBirdRick]

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.

 

[jvls1942]

we don't have black snakes here in Wisc.
not that I know of anyhow.
but we do have Pine Snakes. and I have often smelled some of them before I saw them. maybe black snakes stink, too..

how did your hand smell after grabbing it ?

 

[aart]

Many(maybe all) snakes have a musk that they release.

 

[BigBirdRick]

I did not think to take a whiff of my hand.

To update this thread from a few hours ago. Another harmless black snake was making his way into the Chickmore Estate, he to learned how to fly and learned gravity works. There was no musk smell as he did not make it into the nesting boxes.

Seems we are infested with black snakes. They are really harmless except they eat eggs. A third "tailless" made his way into the coup. I felt bad for him obviously he had a rough day or young life. He was missing some of his tail. I just shoed him off.

 

[Janj76]

My biggest fear is snakes!! I plan on putting snake away and whatever I read works to keep them away! My boss has teased me about having snakes. I told him I was having chickens but no snakes!

 

[jvls1942]

ya know? for the few eggs they get, they more than make up for it by eating mice.

my dogs know what a chicken cackle means. they sometimes beat me to the egg. but if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have any chickens to lay eggs
I could keep the chicken door closed, but when it is raining hard like it has been for the past few weeks, I am not going out and getting wet for just a couple of eggs. I can eat a donut instead.. LOL

I won't pick up a snake.