Now I don't cotton to these kinda critters too much myself, but they're not going to keep me from loving my little farm and enjoying every minute I'm here! You just live with 'em and deal with 'em.
This morning, we had a some excitement here at Sand Flat Farm. I went out early - 6:45 to feed and water my chickies before work. Fresh water, fill up the feeder, strew a little corn to scratch, clean out the night's poo... you know, the usual. Upon exiting the run, I happened to glance to the side, right by the doorlatch, and lo and behold, I saw THIS ------>
WARNING - Graphic photos - not for the squeamish nor faint of heart!!!
I MUST HAVE JUMPED BACK TEN FEET!
This fellow slithered into the coop probably a couple of days ago. I wondered why the chickens only laid 2 eggs that day when they usually lay 5-6. I thought it was just too hot outside. Evidently, the snake had come through the small gauge chicken wire and ate his fill and then couldn't get back through with such a full stomach! He was a good 4 to 4 1/2 feet long
Rat snake, right? At least I hope so. We've seen him a couple of times around the yard. He'd always shoot up under the house when he spotted us looking at him with an evil intent in our eyes. Can you count the bumps along his stomach? SIX, there are six bumps! Horrors!
Slowly, I eased out of the coop trying not to disturb him. I started for my hoe, but decided to go get Tony out of bed and have him come out. He dressed quickly and got the hoe ready. Tony took the snake's tail and carried him twined around the end of the hoe out to the orchard and neatly whacked his head off.
Good job! Another farm critter bites the dust! Glad that was all he bit! Tony got a plastic bag to dispose of this booger and I went to check the coop just in case there was an early egg or an egg from the night before.
GUESS WHAT! That dumb snake swallowed all six of my golf balls that I'd put in the nests to show the hens where to lay!!!! I imagine he did eat a couple of the previous day's eggs, and then later decided to eat the rest of them! JOKE'S ON YOU MR. SNAKE! I'll bet he had a major case of indigestion! Now, don't think us bad folks for killing this guy - he would have died anyway trying to pass those golf balls.
Sooooo, we retrieved my golf balls...
Lookie there ^ - see all six lined up in a neat row!
Kinda gross actually, but at least I got my balls back - to be cleaned and disinfected for sure - reptiles have really nasty mouths - full of germs and bacteria. Yuck, maybe I just need to get some more...
Now, have any questions? Well, then you've just seen #273 of 300 ways to catch a snake. Great way to trap a snake in your chicken coop! You're very welcome.
Keep yer dress down.
21 comments:
OK, that's way too funny, eggs with shells would be constipating enough but 6 golf balls, LOL, that snake got just what he deserved. WTG on getting the golf balls back but I would vote to get new ones ... they are not that expensive ...................
Ya' know, I love that you shoot. It's part of life in the country. But THIS part of life in the country, I can do without.
Oh please. Throw those dang golf balls away! Get new ones, to put under your chickies. P-l-e-a-s-e....
"Auntie"
COOL NEW HEADER PIC here!!!!! I love it!!!!
and in answer to your question... Yes, I made my blog so I can show BIG PICS, right in the post itself.
Most bloggers show almost bittttty pics, in their posts. Oh you can enlarge them, by bringing up another blog page, but...... I say, why make everyone do that?
I like blogs which show big pics, right away. And I changed my Template and widened the width of the guts of my blog. And put my Sidebar stuff, at the bottom. :-)
Lots of people had lots of problems, but have learned how to deal, I guess. On a Pc, once can enlarge/decrease the size you see on your screen. Even on a Mac, you can do this, with the print.
Anyway, it's NOT just you!!!!
But of course, that was a few weeks ago. By now, I'm itching to make a blog look change. lol. That's me.:-)
"Auntie"
Vickie,
Oh my....you know we're talking about getting chickens and we were just talking about the chicken snakes...or more Jason was warning me. We live in the country too and are well acquainted with critters, but snakes....well they're the worse kind in my book. Just the pics of yours gives me the creeps. Anyway, then here's yours this morning! And golf balls....well the joke is on him! That beats all! But I vote for new golf balls too!
Funny story! And oh the joys of living in the country!
Have a great day, my friend.
Tammy
That is absolutely amazing! I thought snakes were smarter than that~ Takes care of my breakfast, I'm on a diet anyway :D
Need smaller wire? So glad the hens are ok.
I am askeered a' snakes!
Debbie
Oh dear heavens! Just wait until I show John this. He may be changing his mind about October! Haahhahahaaha... And in January, I'll remind myself that THIS is why I live in Maine.
*UGH* I can deal with them (I have to because my hubby won't go near them) but it's such a shock when you go to the henhouse and see one of those blasted things!
Glad you got rid of him, and glad your hens were big enough that he didn't make a meal out of them. I had one try that with one of my young Silkies~ the snake had it wrapped up trying to squeeze it to death so he could swallow it. Thank goodness I got there in time!
You go, girlie!
Oh I'm buying golf balls today!! We had ping pong type balls in our house and lately we have not been getting the right amount of eggs. We have a trap in the back to catch "mr.dillow or mr.sam" but to no avail of late. So we have suspected a snake too. The golf balls are perfect for catching a snake!! Critters have to die here too...sorry, it's just life. We can't have them destroying what you work for. AND WHEN IT COMES TO A SNAKE...I'm like the queen of hearts.....OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!!!
Love the header pic, too! We don't kill ours, we let them eat the mice and rats... and the occaisonal egg.
Lord have mercy, how in the world do you co-inside with all those creepy critter's lurking about. I would be a nervous wreck. Very cool photos, and I'm glad you got your tennis balls back. We here in Msine do not have poisonous snakes, is a rat snake poisonous? I hope not, do you have spiders too? You must have to be brave to live in Texas! Hugs, Julie.
Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how hard it was for me to look at your pictures and read this post. I'm so afraid of snakes....... actually terrified!..... The golf ball pictures.... really freaked me out. Guess you can tell I'm a city girl.
Love you anyway and trying to keep my gown down.
I'm trusting you had a lens on your camera that captures things up close really well...NO WAY that I would have ever got close enough to have taken such good photos.
Can you believe that thing ate the golf balls? Never heard of this before...Was it a chicken snake?
Those things get very long.
anyways, glad this one is gone!
Blessings,
shug
OMG! That's hilarious! He got a good case of indigestion, didn't he?! Can you imagine how heavy he was? Tony should have weighed him. That's the best post I've ever read! I'm still laughing. Joke's on him! Good one, Chickie!!!
Oh, Vicki, glad you caught him! I have been going through the same thing, except mine has been a prairie rattlesnake. (Mojahe rattler actually. These type of rattlesnakes don't let you know they are there. They just lie out straight and then you walk right up on them. Their bite is more venomous than a regular rattler. I was walking out to my hen house the other afternoon and did not see one lying right in at the door until I already stepped in, inches away from it. It slithered a litte away from me and I was able to grab a shovel and whack it. Only after I struck it, did it rattle. Watch out and be safe!
I almost didn't read this because of my snake phobia, but I'm so glad I made it to the end. LOL about the golf balls!!
My son has chickens, too. I've heard some of those golf ball stories!!
Oh my goodness...I read about this in a comment on another blog. May I say it is hilarious...at the expense of the snake? I am not a snake fan, and the day I find one in my chicken pen, well...Let's just say it will be the fastest you ever see me run!!
your certain he was a rat snake, the head looks awefully triangular in the photos indicating a poisonous snake....
good snake...a dead one
That is too funny about the golf balls! I live in the country too, but far enough up north that the critters we get haven't been snakes.
Japanese Redneck - Thanks for the warning, but it was identified as a Texas Rat Snake. If you'll google pictures of the rat snake, you'll see that they do have a triangular head even tho they are not poisonous. A good way to tell poisonous from non-poisonous - if the pupils of the eyes are slits they are poisonous; if they eyes have round pupils they are non-poisonous. Another great way to tell! Thanks again!
My first reaction was EEEEK! And then my second reaction was EEEEW! I think I'm going to lose my breakfast now, LOL.
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