readjust laying schedule due to snake?

[cthrash1]

Will a chicken start laying at a different time than she normally would to avoid her egg being eaten by a pesky snake?

My BR usually lays in the afternoon, that is until the other day when my DS shoo'd what I can only guess to be a Black snake(by his description) out of the coop. By the time he got me back there it was gone.
Now for the last 3 days the BR has her egg laid and ready to go as soon as I open the hatch in the mornings. This is why I ask my question...

 

[cthrash1]

*BUMP*

So has this question really got everyone stumped, or did it just get lost in the posts yesterday? Not a necessity to know just curious if anyone knows if this is something that is a protective trait in the chicken.

 

[LynneP]

I think you need to find a way to block the snake, it might be spending part of its time living indoors, in the rafters, too.

 

[Judy]

The egg laying cycle is about 26 hours long.

I have one hen who seems to have read the book. She lays a bit later each day til finally she lays almost at dusk, then she skips a day, then starts over again early in the morning.

My others aren't that predictable but do lay almost daily.

 

[cthrash1]

Quote:
Oh ok thanks, I didn't know that... Thought I had a pretty intelligent chicken there

 

[cthrash1]

Quote:
There isn't any way it could be living overhead but I believe it is living under the coop. But it is not accessible for us because when I built it I wrapped the bottom with 1" chicken wire so the babies wouldn't go under there... The space underneath is from 6" high to about a foot high. Waiting for the snake to steal an egg cause then it won't be able to get back under the coop till the egg digests so we may be able to catch it then and relocate or kill.

 

[cthrash1]

BTW: Thanks for the replies you two... Was ready to give up on this thread.