So, about a month back, my chickens stopped laying - so I thought.
The egg count dwindled to next to nothing, then to absolutely nothing - and it made me wonder what the heck was going on. I found out that the free rangers had stopped laying in the nest box when I found their stash of eggs in the garage
This made me go 'Hmm' because I have never had a problem with them laying other than in the nest boxes.
So, a day or so later, I go down to look for eggs, and find one egg in the pullet coop - with a 4 foot rat snake wrapped cozily around it trying to open his mouth to swallow it. I poked him with my finger (to get his attention, since he was intent on that egg) and he looked up at me like "what?" I explained to him that those were MY eggs he was cheerfully munching, and that he had to move on to greener pastures.
I picked him up - he was rather calm and sweet tempered, actually, didn't even try to musk me - and carried him across the field (we have 25 acres) and let him down by the ditch where plenty of lizards and rodents live.
This worked for two days, then I was putting chicks to bed (I have 150 chicks in the brooder coop who get to free range also - they are about three weeks old or so) and there he was in the Comfrey patch next to the coop.
Now, I have mice, and I was torn about taking him back out of there - but I figured the chicks would make a nice snake meal, so he had to go once again. I painted the tip of his tail Ford Tractor Blue, this time, so I would know if it was the same snake coming back, or different snakes.
Everything was fine for the next two days. My egg production was back up to almost normal, they were laying in the nest boxes, the chicks were safe and happy and no worries.
This morning I went out early, because I had to doctor some sick calves, and my neighbor was coming to help before he had to go to work. After we were finished with the calves, I went down to feed the quail (young ones, maybe 5 weeks old) that I have in a cage in one of the chicken coops.
There was good Old Blue, laying in the cage, too fat to get back out between the bars because he had eaten what looked like three quail. It may have been more, since I don't have an exact count from that cage, but it looked like three lumps in his belly.
I gently picked him up and he looked at me with those pretty black snake eyes and he probably figured we were going on another walk across the hay field.
Sadly, three strikes and Old Blue was out of luck, he had to go permanantly. I have a broody with 5 chicks in that same coop - and he must have missed them for her being so grouchy over the babies. He took the easy caged meal instead.
I gave him a lot of chances, and would have given him more, if I felt like feeding him all my quail, eggs and chicks. But, like Mr. Spock says - "the Good of the Many outweighed the Good of the One".
So, off with his head
I am rather bummed, however, because this snake was just doing his "snake" thing. Not harming anyone except in trying to get a meal.
He was a good snake, and I hope that there's a special green place for snakes with lots of mice and quail and eggs to eat when they leave this world.
RIP Old Blue
Meri
The egg count dwindled to next to nothing, then to absolutely nothing - and it made me wonder what the heck was going on. I found out that the free rangers had stopped laying in the nest box when I found their stash of eggs in the garage
So, a day or so later, I go down to look for eggs, and find one egg in the pullet coop - with a 4 foot rat snake wrapped cozily around it trying to open his mouth to swallow it. I poked him with my finger (to get his attention, since he was intent on that egg) and he looked up at me like "what?" I explained to him that those were MY eggs he was cheerfully munching, and that he had to move on to greener pastures.
I picked him up - he was rather calm and sweet tempered, actually, didn't even try to musk me - and carried him across the field (we have 25 acres) and let him down by the ditch where plenty of lizards and rodents live.
This worked for two days, then I was putting chicks to bed (I have 150 chicks in the brooder coop who get to free range also - they are about three weeks old or so) and there he was in the Comfrey patch next to the coop.
Now, I have mice, and I was torn about taking him back out of there - but I figured the chicks would make a nice snake meal, so he had to go once again. I painted the tip of his tail Ford Tractor Blue, this time, so I would know if it was the same snake coming back, or different snakes.
Everything was fine for the next two days. My egg production was back up to almost normal, they were laying in the nest boxes, the chicks were safe and happy and no worries.
This morning I went out early, because I had to doctor some sick calves, and my neighbor was coming to help before he had to go to work. After we were finished with the calves, I went down to feed the quail (young ones, maybe 5 weeks old) that I have in a cage in one of the chicken coops.
There was good Old Blue, laying in the cage, too fat to get back out between the bars because he had eaten what looked like three quail. It may have been more, since I don't have an exact count from that cage, but it looked like three lumps in his belly.
I gently picked him up and he looked at me with those pretty black snake eyes and he probably figured we were going on another walk across the hay field.
Sadly, three strikes and Old Blue was out of luck, he had to go permanantly. I have a broody with 5 chicks in that same coop - and he must have missed them for her being so grouchy over the babies. He took the easy caged meal instead.
I gave him a lot of chances, and would have given him more, if I felt like feeding him all my quail, eggs and chicks. But, like Mr. Spock says - "the Good of the Many outweighed the Good of the One".
So, off with his head
I am rather bummed, however, because this snake was just doing his "snake" thing. Not harming anyone except in trying to get a meal.
He was a good snake, and I hope that there's a special green place for snakes with lots of mice and quail and eggs to eat when they leave this world.
RIP Old Blue
Meri
