What time of day are snakes most active? or most likely to eat eggs?

[Guitartists]

I searched the forum and found much information on snakes, but not an answer to my question......

What time of day are snakes most active??? I have not gotten any eggs from my birds yet, and yes, they are not that old, but today there was a chick missing

Now I wonder if I have a snake

But, my problem now is how to figure out, short of losing another chick. When would be the best time to catch it in action??? Evenings, middle of the night, morning????

So frustrating!!!!

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

I think at the hottest part. That is what my guess is. But I'm no expert.

 

[rufus]

Snakes are cold blooded, so the answer depends upon where you live. In Michigan, it may be the middle of the day when it is warmest. In Arizona it is at night when it is coolest.

Also, it depends upon the season. In the fall when the nights cool off, they like to lay out on walkways and highways to absorb the heat. Watch your step.

Rufus

 

[dacjohns]

I had always thought during the day but it all depends on the temperature.

Snakes are cold blooded and regulate their body heat by moving in and out of cold/warm places.

If it is too hot out they will go to a cooler place. If it is too cool they will seek heat unless it is hibernation time.

I have found snakes in the coop and in the yard during the middle of the day and in the early morning. The last snake I found was first thing in the morning and it was in the water fount. a cool place. I also found a dead almost full grown chicken that looked like it's neck and head had been in the snake. The snake was a 3' rat snake. That was the second bird I had found in that condition.

It appears that the snake(s) had been active during the night.


I think Sparrow has quite a bit of reptile experience. Maybe she will chime in on this.

 

[Guitartists]

Well, if I have an egg eating snake, I am thinking maybe morning as I am usually not out there until well after noon and have never seen a single egg.... and they usually lay in the early part of the day, right?

Of course, there is always the possibility that they are just not laying eggs yet...... a couple of my pullets were hatched around a week or two before Easter of this year. So I dunno????? But this missing chick has me puzzled. I am going to go out EARLY tomorrow morning and see what I can discover, count my chickens and go buy some sulfur!

 

[Guitartists]

The only other thing I can think of that would be small enough to squeeze in and that I know lives around there are red squirrels .... they wouldn't eat a chick would they??? I know black squirrels will eat small birds... but a small little squirrel like that? I'd be an awful lot of trouble to go through. Also... no blood, no feathers.

 

[dogzrule5]

I've caught snakes in my barn at mid day and early evening just as the sun goes down. I don't remember seeing any first thing in the morning.

 

[fullhouse]

What kind of snake could eat a chick in MI? I think I've only seen itty bitty ones!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I've discovered a rat snake (6 ft!!) in my nest boxes in the late evening when it's not too hot, but not too cool either. He went out and up! into the rafters of the barn. I've not seen him since, but that doesn't mean he's not around. I try to make sure I keep the eggs gathered up and no chicken losses yet.

 

[shelleyb1969]

The only snakes I've seen on my farm in the Michigan thumb are garter snakes. And I've seen those mainly in the middle of the day. But any snake creeps me out! yuk!