Peed. My. Pants.

[Sara Ranch]

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**

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Holy **** crap. Shouldn't have looked at this post. *faints*

 

[Flashpoint]

I feel for you! lol. I walked into one pen yesterday and there was a HUGE black snake. There were eggs in the nests, but I must have come in just as the snake did. What's funnier is I had just moved the hens to another coop, so he can come back and find....nothing.

I seem to have a lot of black snakes here and sometimes they do get an egg or too if I am slow gathering. Most are between 3-4 feet long, but this was was in excess of 6 feet. I usually don't worry about them too much as they take care of most of my mice population.

I am not afraid of them, but very happy I didn't try to "gather" him in the process. (show peed in pants emoji)!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Don't forget to put these on your shopping list

 

[Chickassan]

You just know the snake is telling his snake buddies. Man, I was just eating eggs girl comes in out of nowhere grabbed me and I peed my pants!

 

[andreanar]

O M G.... I would have done more in my pants than just pee! That is my worst fear.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

AH, you guys are funny!

With ALL my heart, I ask you to reconsider relocating YOUR problem. In most locations it is illegal to relocate any live animal. As well as being inhumane.

Do the responsible thing and cull that snake when you catch it.

I'm dealing with rats and we have garter snakes, but heck no I wouldn't let that thing stick around either! I'm scared I'm gonna grab a rat, don't know what I would do if I grabbed a snake. Probably jump, scream, and at LEAST pee my pants!

Hope your hunt yields results!

 

[DwayneNLiz]

at least it was a friendly one


@Debs Flock where is that emoji??

 

[Sara Ranch]

Yeah, that snake was touchy feely. I gathered some courage, after changing some of my clothes, and went back out.

I didn't go in alone. I went in, carrying R2D2, a HUGE rooster. I do mean HUGE.

And there he was, eyeing the ONE egg that had just been laid. We had a stare down. R2D2, myself, and the snake. The snake left. He was well over 6' long.

How many eggs a day do you think the snake can eat?

How many snake friends do you think he told about the eggFEST or the touchy feely girl?

 

[Chickassan]

A snake can clean out a nest in one go if it's a big enough snake. As for how many snakes that one has told im betting every single snake it knows. You better be glad they don't have the internet. Oh I just thought about something! What if it liked it and you've just got a nest full of snakes in the morning wanting a squeeze.