Snake in the hen house!

[broomgal]

Thought you all might like to see this picture I snapped of a rat snake I caught eating an egg!

 

[NoseyChickens]

Oh My Word!!! I would have run away screaming!!! Holy Cow!

 

[Night Watcher]

What are you going to do with him?

 

[M To The Maxx]

What are you going to do with him? He would make a good pet!!!

 

[broomgal]

First time I caught him I just shoo'd him out- that was 2 days ago and he had eaten 2 eggs so I was surprised to see him back so soon. I wish I could tag or mark him somehow because my hens usually lay 6 eggs and they were all gone today. Trying to figure out if there is more than one snake! I will probably move him to a farther area of the woods.
I don't mind an egg being eaten here or there but not all of them!

 

[Oosik]

I found one that size in my coop as well - with a suspicious lump in the middle. Since the chicks aren't old enough to lay eggs yet, I had to perform a C-section (chicken section). Alas, the snake did not fare so well.

I actually wouldn't have harmed him but he didn't want to get caught and ended up a bit injured in my attempts to catch it.

 

[dacjohns]

Nice picture.

When you move it again take it at least a quarter mile away. A few hundred feet isn't far enough.

Now some folks are going to say don't relocate it because it is bad for the ecosystem. Moving a snake a quarter mile isn't going to harm the ecosystem.

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Side bar here.

Oosik, are you from Alaska? I don't think too many folks here know what an oosik is.

 

[ERnoleGuy]

Quote:
Side bar here.

Oosik, are you from Alaska? I don't think too many folks here know what an oosik is.

I do now!

Oh thank you Wikipedia for my education!

 

[broomgal]

Quote:
Thanks for the advice! Better to move it than kill I think- I seriously doubt it will hurt the ecosystem BUT I do like that it is nearby because I HATE rats and mice. Much rather have this snake around but I need to do something!
He is coming in through the wire- before I found this board I had already started building and used medium welded wire and 2 layers of chicken wire- you should have seen him try to get back out with eggs in him- he could barely fit and gout stuck!
However even if I had used hardware cloth I keep the main enclosure door open so the hens can go back in for food, water, and their nesting boxes/house as they free range all day. So he could still find a way in- just take the long route!