Peed. My. Pants.

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Sara Ranch said:
I did capture and relocated the one snake. His friends are still here and have invited more friends. :( I hear them, but don't see more than a flash of black.

I am down from 27 eggs to 3 a day. And it looks like a zero count today.

The building is too large to snake proof -- there's a design flaw in the metal roof. My emergency building arrived last night. So today and tomorrow, new fencing goes up, predator proofing the building, modifying the shed, and moving the flock into tomorrow. Saturday. Yes, Saturday is moving day.

I am wondering how long it will take to get egg production back up. I guess collecting eggs? Whatever it is, I miss the magic and the joy of collecting fresh eggs!!!

I noticed that the one box that the snake was found in, that another hen slept in each night, has been abandoned. She won't sleep in it anymore. No one goes to that corner of the building anymore.

Picture one - snake moving container
Picture two - the snake glaring and debating about striking after he was released. I didn't stick around to see if he was going to strike. He was ANGRY about his confinement and relocation. He was last seen heading back to the main part of the property. Ugh.
Click to expand...
Snakes will return back to their food source even from miles away. Just relocation to a different ares on your property will do nothing. I'd suggest culling the snakes. Also relocation can be illegal in some areas.
 
Sara Ranch said:
Yes, I did. Reached in - even looked first, but it was in the shade/kinda dark - grabbed THAT. No egg. But THAT.

Yeah, it's NOT that dramatic of a predator. But it was enough to make me scream and pee my pants. And I always look in before I reach in. (Darn hens keep rearranging the shavings in those nesting boxes! Will be converting to sand in nesting boxes, like in my other coop.)

And it hasn't eaten any animals. Just consuming (it and it's friends - I'm sure it has a partner!) 10-15 eggs a day.

I didn't capture it. When I screamed (and peed my pants) I let it go as I jumped about 5 feet away. Went back with GLOVES and a canning pot with lid to try to capture it. Naw. Wasn't happening. At the time, I couldn't be sure what kind of snake it was. Now I am pretty confident it was a rat snake/black snake. Not poisonous. Still scary! Snake climbed the wall and went into the rafters.

Note to self - a large, uncrowded space for hens may NOT be the best when you have to go looking for snakes.

The snake hunt begins promptly at 7 pm. Please bring courage, gloves, and boots. The winner will have the pleasure of relocating the snake miles away and a dozen FRESH eggs. :)

**shudder**
Click to expand...
:lau:yuckyuck
 
Egg count today - zero.

One warbled egg song and I raced to the building. No egg.

I could tell the gal had been in the nesting box. I made nice little round piles of the shavings...and kept checking and checking and checking. No eggs. Not even evidence of the girls laying. Not even my most faithful, trusted layers. :(

:barnie:hit
 
A snake ate my broody's egg! And I had candles it and it was alive! Actually, I am not sure it was a snake, but it just disappeared. No shell, no blood, I dug up the entire nesting box searching for it. The snake hasn't been back. I am praying that it never will!
 

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