1:30am: I was just about to step up into the chicken house to gather eggs for the last time today and say good night to the chickens....when I saw the tail end of a SNAKE slithering onto the shelves that are in the feed storage side of the chicken house. And it was a BIG SNAKE! I dropped the (empty) egg basket and ran to the house to get Alan.
"Alan, I need your help in the chicken house, PLEASE!"
We grabbed extra flashlights (but not the camera, grrrr!) and headed out to the chicken house. We found the snake coiled up on the bottom shelf, right next to a hammer, the garden trowel, and various other items. It was a very large adult rat snake, quite capable of swallowing a whole egg.
Alan tried to encourage it to go into an empty feed sack, but it wasn't interested in his efforts and made its way to the back corner of the chicken house, behind all the garden shovels and rakes, bags of feed, bags of wood chips, partial rolls of chicken wire, and then some. Bit by bit, we moved everything out of the chicken house, until finally Alan could see the snake in the corner.
After a bit more effort and a few escape attempts, the snake went into the empty feed sack. Alan rolled the top of the bag closed. We were going to relocate the snake to the middle of our pasture where there's an old dead tree, but I decided that wasn't far enough away. So, we took it to the far end of the pasture and Alan set it free.
Rat snakes are good snakes to have around, but myyyy oh myyyy, I don't want them (especially that large of one) in the chicken house! As it was making its way to the back of the chicken house to get away from us, we could tell that it was easily 6 feet long.
Just yesterday afternoon I saw a smaller rat snake leaving the garden. It was only about 2 feet long, and not nearly as intimidating as the one we dealt with tonight. You can bet I'll have my eyes peeled from now on, on the lookout for SNAKES!
Oh man! Any size of snake is oversized! Glad it wasn't poisonous, but egads! Why do they have to grow so big?! How do snakes compare to spiders on your "most disliked" list?
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | May 24, 2011 at 12:50 PM
I cannot imagine dealing with snakes, like you and Alan do. Yikes!!!!!!
Posted by: Debby Watkins | May 23, 2011 at 01:30 PM
Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes. I hate snakes. (Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones).
I know they are good to have around but I just don't like them because when you least expect it, there they are right next to you. I can deal with them but I don't like it.
Have a great day in the garden.
Posted by: Nebraska Dave | May 23, 2011 at 07:21 AM
EEK*EEK*EEK!!! Not a fan of snakes, either. They are just creepy! Where I grew up in East TN, there were LOTS of rattlesnakes. The men that cut timber in our woods, would kill them and hang them on the fence. Many of them were way over 6' long, and just huge! I have vivid memories of those things!
I'm glad you and Alan got the snake out of the chicken house. We do NOT want snakes eating your eggs! I hope it stays way out in the pasture. Maybe you should make a sign for the chicken coop: "NO SNAKES ALLOWED"! hehe Have a great week, Anna! :D
Posted by: diane mcvey | May 23, 2011 at 06:14 AM
I'm so glad you titled your blog with 'snake'. Even seeing a picture of a snake almost sends me into a panic attack. I don't know if you had pictures of it or not, but with the title it gave me a warning to not open the photos. Thank you.
Posted by: Gail S. | May 22, 2011 at 09:44 PM
EW! EW! EW!!!! *unvoluntary shudder*
Posted by: JulieHRR | May 22, 2011 at 08:46 PM
Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you for not posting pictures of the snake. They REALLY REALLY freak me out.
Posted by: jodi | May 22, 2011 at 04:48 PM
Ha! Sounds like quite an adventure! Glad you got him all relocated. Hopefully he doesn't come back for another surprise visit!
Posted by: Dee in N.H. | May 22, 2011 at 01:49 PM
So are you calling rattlers "rat" snakes? Or are they different? I think I would have gotten a gun and shot it's head off - seriously!! Glad you all are OK...I think Alan should have actually taken him to Tennessee or somewhere farther!!
Posted by: Jeanne in Idaho | May 22, 2011 at 12:59 PM
This would be something like the new cel phone commercial with the lady screaming at the phone with the tarantula that popped onto the screen. definately bad JuJu. Yup, that gent flattened the phone with a shoe. It actually sounds like Anna! the best commercial I have seen in a long time. The only thing missing from this story is a hole in the wall of the restaurant.....Love, Dad and Happy Sunday!
Posted by: DK Wight | May 22, 2011 at 11:27 AM
Hi Anna,
As much as I love your photography, I'm kinda glad you didn't take the camera! (pretty selfish of me, huh!).
You are so brave! I admire how you deal with all the things on the farm - oh, if I could only have such courage!
Posted by: Sharli | May 22, 2011 at 08:40 AM
ICK!! One snake is still better than a million grasshoppers (to me anyway!), but I don't want to ever see a snake that big. Glad you saved it and glad Alan was there to save you and the chickens :)
Posted by: Jennifer | May 22, 2011 at 08:14 AM
I would have dropped dead of a heart attack. My lord 6 feet. Would it have just eatten eggs or tried for a hen or two? I am glad we just have the odd gatter snake and they give me the shivers. Ann Lind
Posted by: Ann Lind | May 22, 2011 at 07:14 AM
Snakes and Spiders and coyote's Oh My. Always an adventure around your farm! My cousin lives in Pinole, CA and always has rattlesnakes visiting. So she was actually glad to see the 6 1/2 foot King Snake in the yard. (They eat rattlers) Yuck. Glad he/she was sent packing and away from the egg snacks. Have a relaxing Sunday. Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | May 22, 2011 at 06:35 AM
Sure glad you didn't call us to help! I would have freaked out! Yhe only "good" snake is a dead snake. :) Glad you got him out of the chicken house. WOW!
Posted by: Lora Lauhoff | May 22, 2011 at 06:35 AM
Gives me shivers. I mighta just peed my pants right then and there.
Posted by: Gabriela | May 22, 2011 at 05:50 AM
EEEEP! I know he's a "good" snake, but still. (eeeep)
Posted by: leslie (crookedstamper) | May 22, 2011 at 04:10 AM
UGH, I do no like snakes! We have a few rat snakes that we see from time to time! A few years ago two climbed up into our Purple Martin house and ate the babies! Nature is cruel sometiimes. Glad you were able to get this one relocated this one!
Posted by: Tanya C. | May 22, 2011 at 03:58 AM
OMG Anna! I would have... well, let's just say it would NOT have been a good thing!
Life on the farm is always full of adventure isn't it! LOL
Posted by: Carol | May 22, 2011 at 03:51 AM
Yikes. I DO NOT like snakes. Yes, I know, there are "good" ones but I still will never like them.
Posted by: SueB | May 22, 2011 at 01:33 AM