- Jun 10, 2009
- 5
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We had two serama hens on nine eggs each. One hen refuses to get into a nest box, choosing instead to nest on the coop floor. We have to put a little box of straw on the floor and she's happy. We lock up all our kids in their coops at night. We had lost seven eggs earlier that week and assumed a snake had gotten them during the day. We found a good size rat snake with injuries to his body about 100 feet from the chicken yard and assumed he was the offender. He died of his injuries and assumed the seramas fought with him. A couple of nights ago we locked the seramas up as usual at dusk and then opened the nest box to see how the girls were doing. We found our floor hen dead and half way down the throat of a very large rat snake. One of her chicks had hatched that morning and was still in her floor nest with her remaining egg. I assumed she was protecting her baby and lost her life. I couldn't imagine that a snake would try and consume an almost 15 ounce chicken...although he was well over 4'. After beating the snake, he let go of the hen. Unfortunately, she was gone. I've seen snakes consume alot of things, but not an entire chicken...unless it was a much larger snake. We're considering putting a hot wire fence around the outside of all the coops, but not sure that will be effective for the snake issue... two down and a million more out there!! We have friends who raise hair sheep and use a woven portable electric fence and suggested using one like theirs. My question is...if a chicken touches the electric fence, would it kill them? My chickens are kept up and can't run free (we have seen foxes, skunks etc.), but on the outside chance we had an escapee that may touch the electric fence. I do have dogs that patrol and to date the larger predators haven't been an issue. The snakes just must have gone unnoticed! I know my jack russell would have had a field day if she had seen the snake. Unfortunately, living here in the south, we have poisionous snakes too. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Of course, my one little chick from our lovely "Buffy" has a forever home with us. My other hen was able to hatch eight beautiful serama chicks of her nine eggs on fourth of July. javascript:insert_text('
',%20'');Thanks in advance for your replies! JP
