My hens have been laying about six eggs a day for a few weeks now. My pullets just started laying and it's all going well. I lost seven mature hens to the heat and then three pullets to outdoor predators (I'm thinking bobcat), so I decided to keep them in the 300 sq ft pen all day and only let them free range when I can in the evenings. They've been penned up for two weeks now. I was collecting eggs daily and it was all good.
Then, last weekend, I was mowing and picking up sticks and noticed a path going underneath the chain link fence that encloses the chicken pen. I live in a very warm climate, so I don't have an enclosed coop. The nesting boxes and roosts are under a covered end of the pen. It has worked well for years. The path going under the chain link was just under the nesting boxes. I put some cinder blocks over the path and no other path has appeared since.
I was collecting up to six eggs a day from the pullets that recently started laying. A few of the mature hens were laying also. On Monday, I went out to collect eggs in the evening, and there was only one egg in the nesting boxes. I went out again on Wednesday and there were ZERO eggs - there should have been two days worth of eggs. I went out again today, no eggs. Obviously, something is taking my eggs. Grrrrr.
I think it's a rat snake. A big one. I posted my dilemma on facebook and some friends suggested I put golf balls in the nesting boxes. The snake will eat the golf ball and will either get stuck in the pen (no likely since it's chain link) or the ball will cause it to die.
Anyone have experience with this? My other option is to stake out the pen in a chair with a sharp shovel and a good book. Like I have an entire day to sit and read...
Then, last weekend, I was mowing and picking up sticks and noticed a path going underneath the chain link fence that encloses the chicken pen. I live in a very warm climate, so I don't have an enclosed coop. The nesting boxes and roosts are under a covered end of the pen. It has worked well for years. The path going under the chain link was just under the nesting boxes. I put some cinder blocks over the path and no other path has appeared since.
I was collecting up to six eggs a day from the pullets that recently started laying. A few of the mature hens were laying also. On Monday, I went out to collect eggs in the evening, and there was only one egg in the nesting boxes. I went out again on Wednesday and there were ZERO eggs - there should have been two days worth of eggs. I went out again today, no eggs. Obviously, something is taking my eggs. Grrrrr.
I think it's a rat snake. A big one. I posted my dilemma on facebook and some friends suggested I put golf balls in the nesting boxes. The snake will eat the golf ball and will either get stuck in the pen (no likely since it's chain link) or the ball will cause it to die.
Anyone have experience with this? My other option is to stake out the pen in a chair with a sharp shovel and a good book. Like I have an entire day to sit and read...
