another snake

[duck walk]

I have the dumbest bunch of snakes in the world stealing "eggs" from my nest boxes...yet again I was reaching in the nest to gather the eggs and up pops a big old snake head...a depends moment...I grab a rake and drag his self outside and he has a big bulge right behind his spade head...whack whack whack with a shovel...head comes off and out pops a ping pong ball...I have been missing eggs and ping pong balls...but mostly ping pong balls...what is up with these retarded snakes? This isn't the first time and probably wont be the last...

 

[ksct]

if it looks like an egg.... snakes will eat it. probably saved him from a painful death from not being able to digest a non edible object. you did it the most quick and painless. glad it's not taking any chickens. keep a look out for more....

 

[SunshineSilkies]

It certainly would have been a "Depends" moment for me also!!!!

 

[fostina1]

ya, im missing a couple of plastic toy eggs from my nestbox too. stupid snakes lol. i suppose they are warm from the hen sitting on them while laying another one. snakes only see heat so if its a little warm theres a good chance of it getting eaten.

 

[mikeksfarmer]

Next year at this time you will complain about rats and mice. I am sorry for you loss of an egg.

 

[duck walk]

nah...wasn't complaining...just observing and never knew they would ingest ping pong balls...just part of my education...judging from the bounce back in production today, he and his relatives have probably been nailing my eggs regularly...his butt, oh, he doesn't have a butt, is hanging on the fence as a note to the wise...

 

[allison finch]

Snakes go by smell. After a ball has been in a nest, it will have the right smell. Often, the snake will regurge an inedible meal and not die.

 

[ranchhand]

Most egg stealing snakes are beneficial- I used hardware cloth around the bottom 2 feet of the pens. The snakes don't bother with going over, and I have no mice, rats or roaches anymore.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

I love snakes. They are beneficial animals. When I don't have small chicks around I "order" non-venomous gopher snakes from my friend (an animal control officer) and let them go around here to eat the gophers and vermin. Works great!