Warning: The snake died. Sorry guys.
So I had been listening to my chickens squawk for an hour now, I thought someone fell off the roost and never planned on going out there as they do it all the time. This particular hen has [had] six chicks under her nearing adult hood and they can't all fit, so they fall off nightly. Finally it was "suggested" that I go out and investigate. Armed with a flashlight and .22, I headed out to the shed. Lo and behold, wrapped around my highly prized and pet cockeral was this disgusting rat snake. He had half the chick in his mouth, saw me, and stood straight up like a cobra. Thank god I'm a good shot and he didn't suffer, I'm sorry to say the poor chick didn't survive. The snake also got three eggs out from under one of my broody hens, the only three I expected to hatch from her, and scared the hen off her nest. I put her back on it
she will still be there in the morning. I am still fuming, I can't believe I didn't go out there earlier and check like I usually do even if I know what it is causing the ruckus. Then maybe, MAYBE, my favorite little guy would have made it and I wouldn't have lost three good eggs. No other chickens were harmed, and the snake is now hung in the shed to hopefully ward off others before the nights over.
This is my third snake THIS YEAR, and he was the biggest. It was roughly six feet, when I held him up by the tip of his tail over my head his head came to my ankles and I'm 5'4" standing straight. Makes me so mad. Ugh... he suffocated a horrible death. Tomorrow I'm snake proofing that building, as currently it's open to the world, to prevent furthur losses. I still have 14 chicks, started off this batch with 22, I'm willing to bet he's the snake that got the others in the middle of the night before too. Hopefully my next group -I had four hatch today, one is currently in the brooder because he's a bit behind on development- and have 20 due to hatch this up coming week.
Snakes make me so MAD.
Had to vent. Sorry.
My poor little cockeral had no idea what was coming to him, I have one of his sisters on the porch because I can't find Mama and the other four chicks. She disappeared into the darkness and to no prevail we returned home without her. I know she's out there, I heard her chicks happily peeping, so she's safe somewhere.
So I had been listening to my chickens squawk for an hour now, I thought someone fell off the roost and never planned on going out there as they do it all the time. This particular hen has [had] six chicks under her nearing adult hood and they can't all fit, so they fall off nightly. Finally it was "suggested" that I go out and investigate. Armed with a flashlight and .22, I headed out to the shed. Lo and behold, wrapped around my highly prized and pet cockeral was this disgusting rat snake. He had half the chick in his mouth, saw me, and stood straight up like a cobra. Thank god I'm a good shot and he didn't suffer, I'm sorry to say the poor chick didn't survive. The snake also got three eggs out from under one of my broody hens, the only three I expected to hatch from her, and scared the hen off her nest. I put her back on it
This is my third snake THIS YEAR, and he was the biggest. It was roughly six feet, when I held him up by the tip of his tail over my head his head came to my ankles and I'm 5'4" standing straight. Makes me so mad. Ugh... he suffocated a horrible death. Tomorrow I'm snake proofing that building, as currently it's open to the world, to prevent furthur losses. I still have 14 chicks, started off this batch with 22, I'm willing to bet he's the snake that got the others in the middle of the night before too. Hopefully my next group -I had four hatch today, one is currently in the brooder because he's a bit behind on development- and have 20 due to hatch this up coming week.
Snakes make me so MAD.
Had to vent. Sorry.
