so what happen to the snake that ate 4 eggs
Good question. I saw it once in the nest with the broody hen before the eggs started disappearing so I’m really sure which one it was, but it got away before I could stop it. I now keep a garden hoe in the coop, one with a broken handle so it’s short enough I can use it in enclosed spaces.
A couple of times since I’ve had a black racer snake that size swallow the golf balls I keep in my nests and get stuck in the coop. They can’t get back out of the hole they came in so I can deal with them. I did recover the golf balls, those snakes did not live. Was one of those the one that was eating eggs out from under the broody? I don’t know. The first of these was a few months later and as soon as I saw what was happening I started gathering eggs several times a day so the snake did not have a free meal with those eggs.
I’ve also caught and released snakes on a friend’s property. I have her permission, she even requested it, and she is far enough away I’m not worried about them returning. I’ve given her a couple of rat snakes and a black racer, but that racer was not big enough to be the one. I generally leave non-poisonous snakes alone unless they are in the coop. I’m OK with them being in the area and eating mice. I have seen black racers and rat snakes over 6’ long around but they were not in the coop so I did not bother them.
I’m all in favor of removing animals that threaten my chickens, I’ve removed several raccoons, possum, skunk, and rats as well as snakes. That reduces the predator pressure on your chickens because you are removing threats that are actually active on your property. But I once shot 16 rabbits out of my garden before I got the one that was eating my beans just as they sprouted. There were probably a few eating those beans but not all were. When you shoot one, you don’t know if you got the guilty party or not but when the beans get to grow you have real strong clue.
Earlier this spring I had a skunk go through a pet door into my garage and spray. Since then I’ve trapped and disposed of seven skunks in the general area. Did I get the guilty party? I don’t know.
I can’t tell you what happened to that specific snake. I can tell you that some snakes that fit the general description are no longer with us. And it was not four eggs. It was four eggs twice then the final two last. I did hatch chicks in the incubator and gave them to her to raise. The snake did not bother the chicks but I housed her at night in a different coop until the chicks were bigger.
