Black snake ate broody hens eggs day 20

[Purelychicks]

Update?

She ended up attacking them (not too bad, but still.) , so I will probably try again when her chicks start hatching. If not, then they stay in my brooder .

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What about the broody that you moved, has she settled in?

If this alternate broody is at around day 18 and sitting on eggs that are going to hatch, it's unlikely she will accept older chicks when hers hatch.

 

[Purelychicks]

What about the broody that you moved, has she settled in?

If this alternate broody is at around day 18 and sitting on eggs that are going to hatch, it's unlikely she will accept older chicks when hers hatch.

The broody hen I moved didn’t settle in, so I just put her back in the coop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh boy.
Broodies, you just never know what they will do.

You may end up having to brood the little ones yourself.

 

[Purelychicks]

Oh boy.
Broodies, you just never know what they will do.

You may end up having to brood the little ones yourself.

They are in a brooder right now, so probably. Ugh … these Broodies are getting out of hand. One minute they have baby fever, the next they want nothing to do with it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's how it goes sometimes with broodies.

Last year I had a hen sitting for over 21 days. She was in a difficult place and she's a pain to deal with even is good times...I finally candled the eggs, nothing happening. Even after I removed the eggs she was totally committed. It was the weekend, so I'll ordered some chicks and have them here by Tuesday, it will be GREAT!
Yes, she was still broody when the chicks arrived. NO, she hated them. Hated them! Go figure.

Anyway, I had chicks to brood myself, but it all turned out just fine. Sometimes you just have to roll with it.

 

[McChooky]

I pour ammonia at the entrance of the the main chicken run to discourage rat snakes( we have at least one big one on our property) My 10 week old chicks have one end of the run since they were 4 weeks old. They're separated by chicken wire until I can get all the hardware cloth attached so I stapled netting over the chicken wire to keep snakes out.My coop and run are predator proof but the chicken doors open when my flock free ranges

 

[Purelychicks]

I pour ammonia at the entrance of the the main chicken run to discourage rat snakes( we have at least one big one on our property) My 10 week old chicks have one end of the run since they were 4 weeks old. They're separated by chicken wire until I can get all the hardware cloth attached so I stapled netting over the chicken wire to keep snakes out.My coop and run are predator proof but the chicken doors open when my flock free ranges

A whole family of black/rat snakes have burrowed tunnel systems under my coop. The coop sits on the ground & they dig holes under. Snakes came today and took my 3 broody hens egg piles. All day 17-20 :| now don’t know what to do now at all. I have bought chicks, but can’t give them to hens if snakes are gonna eat them. Also gonna be gone for a few weeks so can’t really keep them in the brooder.

 

[McChooky]

A whole family of black/rat snakes have burrowed tunnel systems under my coop. The coop sits on the ground & they dig holes under. Snakes came today and took my 3 broody hens egg piles. All day 17-20 :| now don’t know what to do now at all. I have bought chicks, but can’t give them to hens if snakes are gonna eat them. Also gonna be gone for a few weeks so can’t really keep them in the brooder.

Minnow traps with eggs as bait would be the easiest method of trapping the snakes and relocating them to someone else's property with their consent. I can't stress enough the importance of having predator proof coops and runs with aprons around the bottom to protect your flock. Especially if you're trying to raise baby chicks.

 

[Purelychicks]

Minnow traps with eggs as bait would be the easiest method of trapping the snakes and relocating them to someone else's property with their consent. I can't stress enough the importance of having predator proof coops and runs with aprons around the bottom to protect your flock. Especially if you're trying to raise baby chicks.

My does have an apron, they dug under