Not so smart snake...(Pic)

[Dawn419]

Went to check on the Silky coop yesterday (Sunday) to make sure that the 3 girls who just got out of chicken jail (plastic coated wire bottomed cage for breaking their broody) weren't piled back up in the nest box.

Well, lo and behold, StaPuff, our Splash hen, was all sprawled out looking like she's still gonna stay in her broody-mode. So I raise the back end of their nest box up to dump her out and instead of just pine shavings litter, I notice something black and shiny, that just isn't right. Yep, SNAKE!

So I go and get Skip to come help me remove it from the Chick-N-Barn. In less than 5 minutes, StaPuff had climbed from the run and settled back into the nest box. I wonder if she knew she had "company" underneath the box or even cared?

So I went and grabbed our pool net (that I use to move the chickens around in...my grandmom pulls down the driveway just as we get StaPuff kicked out of the barn again and are ready to remove the snake. We move the nest box and I'll be hanged if it wasn't actually 2 Black Snakes curled up together under the box.

We noticed the larger of the two was sporting a big lump inside it and just knew we had an egg thief on our hands. Skip netted them and took them to the back of our place and set them loose. Grandmom didn't freak out like I expected her to so it all went well, I feel.

Got thinking about the whole thing earlier today and it hit me like a ton of bricks...that wasn't an egg that the snake had eaten...it was the golfball that I keep in the nest box to keep the Sillies (I mean Silkies) laying in the box and not on the floor.

Well, I guess we'll have one less snake to worry about now...

Skip and I are still laughing over this one and we still have a few days before the Silkies begin laying again.

Dawn

 

[countryboy]

were there FOUR golf balls in the nest?

 

[ChicknThief]

Poor stupid, stupid snake.

 

[thechickenchick]

Silly snake!

 

[babyboy1_mom]

I would have had a heart attack and died right there on the spot. I cannot stand snakes and DH is the same way. Just seeing the pics. of those snakes gave me the creeps...lol

Dorothy

 

[Double-T-Family-Farm]

oh geez.. how can you touch them things? i probably have had to stab it or shoot it or something.. YUCK:|

 

[ruby]

My trusty snake relocater crew assured me that if the snake (if it didn't eat a golf ball) will return if not set free at least 3 miles from your coop. I usually take them at least 4 miles. and my favorite hay field is 5 miles. That snake was taking advantage of the warmth, ya think?

 

[KLH2010]

I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't kill snakes (unless necessary). I can't believe it swallowed a golf ball!

 

[Dawn419]

I refuse to kill them as they belong on this earth as much as I do. Plus the Blacksnakes are known for keeping Rattlers and Copperheads away.

I am also against relocation because then I'm just making them someone else's problem. I'm actually feeling sorry for the golfball eater as he/she probably won't live to laugh about it, like I have.

It was definately a golfball that it ate as the ball was in the nest box while the hens were in chicken jail and missing after I discovered the snakes. It may have caught some mice too, but the ball is definately missing.


Dawn

 

[ruby]

I have had snakes eat my plastic easter eggs I use for teaching the young girls. It got so bad snakes everywhere. Most were following mice. I had a field mouse line up pieces of cracked corn in a row. They see eggs or smell them and eggs don't run. easy meal I can understand that. My super cool neighbor would take them to his barn 3 miles down the road. If he wasn't around, my hubbie would use the pickle bucket with top method, off to the hay field they go....... the heart breaker for me was the coyote who wouldn't leave. we HAD to shoot her. But we still have plenty of coyotes! And Bobcats, small bears, weasels, minks, raccoons etc........ yes I have a live trap too