Snake made my guineas move their nest!

[jcatblum]

I have always found the girls eggs inside the coop. I did find 1 in the woods but only 1 time. I have walked the woods looking for nest, but I know finding the nest is going to be challenging! They play in the neighbors woods that is behind my woods & I have looked some there, but honestly the guy behind me has 300 acres of woods! Plus my 20 acres, way too much space to cover!

I think a giant snake caused them to stop laying in their coop. He was about 8 feet & Monday I had 10 guineas in the coop yelling at him!

 

[SuperPeacockman]

What kind of snake?

 

[jcatblum]

I think he was a bull snake. They actually are most active during day. I killed a 5 ft bull snake a few weeks ago about 10 ft from the coop. I don't like killing them, since they keep rattle snakes away. We are only 15 miles from the local rattle snake festival. They usually go out in April & catch hundreds of them the weekend of the festival. The only reason I kill snakes is the real big ones scare the crap out of my kids. I wasn't able to kill this one, he came out of the coop fast & went under my shed. I am sure I will see him again.

When we found this snake my daughter had went in to check for eggs. The guineas were all yelling & when she came out she saw the snake. They still have came back to roost on that tree branch he past few nights. But have not laid any eggs in there since then. I am sure we will find their nest eventually but I hate that the snake scared them.

I am guessing by spring the guineas will get a new "coop". The one thy use was here when we bought the place. A swingset frame with tin covering 3 sides. We put a dog kennel on the open end, and covered the top so they would be safe. The tin is getting pretty bad (since the winds are so strong here) but it does the job for now!

 

[jcatblum]

Good news! Found 2 nest tonight. One only had a couple of eggs in it, but the other had 9 eggs. Also had a rat snake with 2 eggs in his belly. Killed the snake, carried it off to bury it. Dh cut the snake in 2 so the kids could see how it was still a whole egg, farm life is always such a learning experience! Hope the girls will continue to lay on the nest since we removed the snake. I guess I will know tomorrow. With it being 100+ everyday should I let the eggs accumulate in the nest to see if the girls will hatch them? Or should I collect the fresh ones each day?

 

[jcatblum]

Collecting 5 new eggs off the nest yesterday. Earlier today collected to eggs. Went back out & there is only 3 eggs left in the nest now! I think I going to put tree netting around the nest. Not sure if it will make my girls move there nest but has to be better than seeing all my eggs get eaten!