Found this 5 feet from 14 babies

[neverbdone]

Be careful out there.

 

[tantricdragon13]

Ooooooohhhh, he's a mean lookin' one!

 

[Michael Apple]

In parts of California, those rattlers can populate an area quickly. Cull 'em just like coons, coyote and fox. Nothing like a .22 or a machete. There's a guy going by the username of centrarchid on here who says he rents his dogs out to eat snakes, lol.

 

[Bob G]

If you don't happen to have a mongoose handy, your barnyard cat will kill them. Some cats in Africa subsist on asps, never taking a drink of water in their lives. They really are faster than the snakes.

 

[ladycat]

Be careful out there.

 

[Suzierd]

Wow! Good thing you got there in time!

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Are you missing any chicks? That thing looks like its had a recent meal. Look at the lump in the belly.

 

[andreanar]

Oh I would have freaked out! Oh please please never let me find any snakes near my chickens,I am freaked out by them.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Oh my goodness, so scary!

 

[neverbdone]

I have all 14 babies. I counted twice. Glad we found it before the dogs. Had one of my goldens bit three times by the same snake two years ago. Weeks of nursing him back. He did get a big chunk out of that one though before he drug himself back to the house. He's the big one front left.