Snake

[RoosterDon]

Just went out to the coop and 3 more eggs were missing and my hen moved to the next door nesting box. Dead still a snakes bottom half was on top of the coop, its front part and head down the back side. Luckily it did not move while I got the tall ladder and was able to shoot him. I will know at daylight how big it is.

I know for sure that this snake is skinny enough to slip through chicken wire, which poses a dilemma for future brooders. Pretty sure it is simply a chicken snake, and was not the enormous one I saw two weeks ago. In almost three years now, this is the first issue I have ever had with snakes.

Does anyone know how snakes behave, once one knows there are eggs somewhere? Do they somehow put out an alert? Hard to imagine this guy ate the 10 missing eggs the other day, but I would have said the same thing about 3 missing eggs. Maybe I just killed one of multiple snake that are up there.

I might just leave a few eggs in the other nesting boxes and see if they disappear.

Any ideas or thoughts? Thank you.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Place minnow traps around the outside of your coop baited with eggs... egg eating snakes will go in, but get stuck inside... continue until you don't catch anymore...

 

[RoosterDon]

Thank you Ravyn! Great Idea that I would never have thought of. This is why I love this site. I feel bad for snake lovers, but I killed this guy last night. I don't have the time to trap and transport and release. I am leaving it out for the chickens to eat and get revenge on, circle of life. They were enjoying it when I left this morning. My Facebook friends who lie in Texas who DON'T have chickens would not understand the loss and trauma to the hens just trying to lay eggs, brood, hatch and raise chicks. No way they can defend themselves at night since they go comatose. I am just glad this chicken left my hen alone.I have not matched up the pics yet this morning, but am pretty sure it is just a chicken/rat snake. It's about 4-5 foot long. I can see how now these guys can gobble down a bunch of eggs. Setting up traps tonight since I am sure there are more snakes, especially the 10 footer I saw a few weeks ago.

These chicken/rat snakes love eggs (obviously) and will eat baby chicks. I would imagine the constant peeping is like a homing beacon for any predator to zero in on them.

Obviously I would advise everyone to make sure your chicks are secure in a coop that is fully protected and with wire with smaller holes then chicken wire. This snake would have no problem getting through the chicken wire. My 17 chicks, in the coop that the snake was sleeping on (the nesting box with my brooder below) are all safe and sound.

 

[RoosterDon]

 

[Jessie22]

I have a guinea hen setting in a well hidden bush. She had 17 eggs. This am I noticed 2 eggs out of her nest close to her and I found an egg shell. Something had eaten 2 eggs but left one shell just outside of her nest. I found part of a shell in her nest when she went to eat. What could this predator be? I dont know if she was gone but maybe she was to have 2 eggs outside of the nest. She is fine and stays on the eggs. It has been raining hard on and off for 3 or 4 days. The 2 eggs that were outside of her nest, I pushed them back under her. Trying to figure this out. She is a free ranger and the males had gone next door to roost so they were not there.

 

[carlf]

That snake could have easily eaten all those eggs. Once they get them into their throat, they crush them, so they can fit lots of eggs in there. I don't like killing snakes, they are the only predators I reccommend relocating.