I went out to lock up the chickens tonight (like I do every evening) and to make sure water containers and feeders were topped off. The ducks were quite upset, giving me all kinds of attention. Lots of quacking and carrying on. I have a duck that's been broody, and we've been nursing a sore foot pad on her, so I've been letting her sit on some eggs so she doesn't feel like she needs to be running around the chicken yard all day on her sore foot pad. Even she was off of her nest, quacking, and was quite upset about something.
I looked over at her nest and saw a RAT SNAKE had come through the chicken wire nearly 3' up the side of the fence and was investigating her eggs! No wonder she was so upset!!
Since our snake issues began, I've been carrying a two-way walkit-talkie so I can get Alan's assistance as needed. This certainly called for some much needed assistance! I voiced over the radio for him to grab my camera and come to the chicken yard, that there was a snake thinking about eating a duck egg!
In just the few minutes that it took Alan to get out to the chicken yard with the camera and his headlamp, the snake had already chosen his meal and was working on swallowing it.
Here is a series of photos for you .... since we had to experience this, it's only fair that you do too!! *grin*
I never thought I'd see this in MY chicken yard!! Duck eggs aren't small, or delicate, either! They easily fill the palm of my hand, and have a VERY tough shell.
We let the snake get the egg all the way swallowed, and then Alan placed a paper feed sack in front of the snake and with a long garden stake, encouraged the snake to go into the bag. At first it thought about escaping through the fence, but there's just no way it would have fit through 1" chicken wire having just swallowed the duck egg. It changed it's mind, and just like that, the snake was in the bag. Alan poked down the top of the bag, rolled up the top edge, and we went about the process of relocating the snake near a big open field and pond.
What we found interesting was that while the snake was working on the egg, and while the snake was in the bag while we transported it, it was shaking it's tail and mimicing the tail shake that a rattlesnake does. But this was just a rat snake ... trying to be extra scary, I guess. Believe me, it was scary enough just the way it was. What we also found interesting is that in just the few minutes that it took us to get to where we relocated the snake to, we couldn't even tell that it had swallowed that huge egg! Whoa!
Yesterday morning I saw another hog-nosed snake (only maybe 3' long one) in the zucchini bed in the garden. I'll be watching for that one to show up again, too. Jeepers... enough snakes already!!
In other LESS CREEPY farm news...
...Alan sold three of the calves today to a local fella. He may come back for Stanley too, when Stanley is old enough to take off his mama.
See ya later Popsicle, Riblet, and Harry (Dumbo)!
NO! NO! No more snake pictures!!! LOL! I sent your blog link to a friend of mine because you have such beautiful crafts and she sent me a note saying "This is gross!" I couldn't imagine what she'd found so gross until I clicked the link. Gave me a good laugh! She loves your crafts, however.
Posted by: Julie | January 07, 2012 at 03:25 PM
That's really interesting. We don't see many snakes here but Richard saw one the other evening that was shaking its tail trying to imitate a rattle snake! Apparently pigs eat snakes, even poisonous ones, so maybe you should invest in some pigs :) Of course pigs are great eggs eaters too so you might be worse off! LOL!
Take care, Liz
Posted by: Liz | July 12, 2011 at 07:50 PM
OMG, isn't there a way to keep snakes away? I would die... seriously... if I saw a snake that long. Like many others leaving comments, I'd be chopping that sucker up. I don't care that they might eat rodents, they are gross and scary and anything that moves without having legs is just evil and unnatural in my eyes. LOL.
Farewell to the calves. How sad :-( I'd be crying !
Posted by: Simmy | June 21, 2011 at 09:56 AM
OMG!! I would have killed that snake!! Yuck!! I had a raccoon in my back yard last week - during the middle of the day. Not sure why it was hanging around mine and my neighbor's house when there are so many woods nearby.
Posted by: Lacey | June 20, 2011 at 07:42 AM
Eeeeew eeeew eeeew eeeew eeew!!!!! I would have totally freaked - mind you, I live in England have only ever seen two snakes in the wild. Good for you for relocating it though!
Posted by: Helen | June 19, 2011 at 06:08 AM
There has to be some way to snake proof that chicken house! Climbing up and over the chicken wire, that was quite a feat. Would've been the last trick that snake did if I was around. I would yell for Russel and he would dispatch it forthwith. Ewwwwww!
Posted by: kathynruss | June 19, 2011 at 04:48 AM
LOL...I agree with your Dad. We've had a chicken coop and seen a snake or two swallowing an egg. I gotta tell you. It made me mad as &*#^ and they didn't get toted off in a brown paper bag because I might would need that bag for a craft one day! bwahahahaha!!
Posted by: Sherri D. | June 18, 2011 at 08:38 PM
YOU LOADED THIS CRITTER UP AND RELEASED IT AFTER YOU WATCHED IT EAT ONE OF YOUR EGGS???? It is still alive somewhere near your place???? Maybe I'm not your father....I am absolutely positive that If I was the one seeing the snake in the chicken yard it would have left the yard in several pieces.....before it got to the eggs...Let no one ever wonder if Dan Wight is a fan of snakes of any stripe larger than a garter snake.....they can be beneficial in some other persons personal space....100% dead every time. My chickens always loved me too! There is more than one thing you can use a 9 iron for... and it isn't on a golf course......Love, Dad... This gives me the willies!
Posted by: DK Wight | June 17, 2011 at 07:21 PM
You are too kind to snakes... when I seen them in my yard.. I took them out and I don't mean out of the yard.. I mean out of this world ~ dead!
Posted by: Pamela Tetreault | June 17, 2011 at 05:34 PM
You poor girl! I think you're the bravest lady ever to live through all the varmints in Texas. And it's not like they're small or anything. Ick, ick, ick! So happy you were able to sell some calves!
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | June 17, 2011 at 03:52 PM
Anna, these pictures are absolutely incredible!! I cannot thank you enough for sharing them. I sent your site to my daughters to see these amazing photos. I LOVE your blog and I read your news daily. Please don't ever go away!!! :)
Posted by: Jill | June 17, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Yikes!!! Isn't there an easier way to eat an egg if you are a snake??? I'm not sure that I am still envious of your living on a farm...
Posted by: Susan Z | June 17, 2011 at 05:21 AM
Oh oh Anna, you are making me re-think my plan to move to 28 acres now! I'm really, really scared of snakes - too bad we have already purchased the land. Anyone want to buy a large block in Australia??
You are so brave to stand there and take the photo's too.
Posted by: Sharon Holden | June 16, 2011 at 09:58 PM
What's funny, is I actually work with snakes at the Texas State Aquarium, but yet this guy still gave me a little shiver. I guess my pretty program boas are much different then that huge, wild rat snake! But good for you, Anna, for being so brave and not killing something that does way more good on your farm then harm! And good for Alan, as well :)
Posted by: Chelsea | June 16, 2011 at 08:37 PM
Holy Freaking Moly! I don't do bugs. I don't do snakes. I can't stand high heat and humidity. I guess there is truth to "you are exactly where you are supposed to be" in life. Happy to be here in suburban Michigan!!! Cringing from afar....!!!
Posted by: Gwen | June 16, 2011 at 04:55 PM
In my haste to leave the snake post fast, I left my real comment on this snake post in the heat post below, eeeek! I have the creepy crawlies now!
Posted by: Kelly Schirmer | June 16, 2011 at 02:03 PM
Nooooo not Riblet :(
Uh....yeah....that snake would be enough to get me the heck outta TX!!!
**shivering**
Posted by: Michelle | June 16, 2011 at 01:36 PM
Oh man - one snake is too many for me!! We don't have any here, I've only ever seen them in Greece. The two-way radio sounds like a GOOD idea to me.
So does it crush the egg inside after it's swallowed it?
Posted by: Sabrina | June 16, 2011 at 12:51 PM
Man, you are so lucky! When we lived on the farm, I hardly ever saw snakes. Like, maybe once.
Thanks for the awesome photos. The boys will be just as thrilled as I am. :) Drawing upon my vast knowledge of wildlife, egg-eating snakes swallow the egg and then push it up against some back teeth to puncture the egg so they can finish swallowing it. I think they cough up the shell, but can't be sure, cuz my brain isn't exactly popping on all cylinders today.
Posted by: Shala | June 16, 2011 at 12:16 PM
Lucky snakes, that they are near you and not me because they would be dead, dead, dead!
Posted by: debbie | June 16, 2011 at 10:26 AM
Ick! - I'm not really afraid of snakes but that was a bit creepy (and fascinating at the same time).
Posted by: Ida P. Krause | June 16, 2011 at 10:19 AM
wow. the rat snake devoured the egg much quicker than our black snake. we never did get to see the end of that one. :) were you tempted to pick it up, knowing it's mouth was otherwise occupied? i sure was :)
Posted by: Yvonne | June 16, 2011 at 10:11 AM
That snake is icky and I'm glad I didn't have to deal with it! I am glad that you posted pictures though, fascinating!
Posted by: Jennifer | June 16, 2011 at 08:50 AM
you are way to kind. I would have killed the snakes. DH however loves snakes. Ü
Posted by: Debbie Fisher | June 16, 2011 at 08:36 AM
And to think I was fascinated by a pretty green bug - one half inch in size - that I photo'd and posted to MY blog! I love to see your wildlife pics, Anna - especially the ones of critters who I never have to get close to :)
Posted by: cheryl R | June 16, 2011 at 08:21 AM
Holy Snakeville! Make sure you got thick Wellies on your feet when you go out checking for the pests. Even though snakes may not be poisonous some of them can still pack a nasty bite. Egg thieves!!! Love your show and tell Anna, since I can't get out and have my own garden I'm living vicariously through yours!
Hugs
Julie
Posted by: Julie | June 16, 2011 at 08:11 AM
Well, it's a good thing you were not sitting here next to me this morning as I surveyed this series of photos! There was a lot of involuntary shrieking! LOL!
Posted by: Julie Ebersole | June 16, 2011 at 08:11 AM
Great photos...but, eeeewwww. This is the kind of footage I turn away from on Animal Planet. :)
Posted by: Mary H. | June 16, 2011 at 07:13 AM
Three cheers for suburban life! Actually I thought you were going to say that you transported the snake to distant field and that your Alan decapitated the thing before it crushed the duck egg and that you were able to rescue the egg and return it to the nest. That's what I would have done - murderer that I am.
Posted by: Gabriela | June 16, 2011 at 07:03 AM
Ok - once again I'm just going to say it. As envious of your life as I have been in the past (because I thought when I grew up, I wanted to be you!), I am thinking that subdivision life in GA is more and more tolerable all the time. Have only had to deal with one long black snake this year and that was MORE than enough for me.
Posted by: Lynne Bunn | June 16, 2011 at 06:22 AM
So Many Snakes !!!! Yeeeee. Not something i would wantto stumble upon in the chicken house or garden. He looks HUGE. I sure hope it finds some wild duck eggs and stay AWAY.
Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | June 16, 2011 at 05:52 AM
These are amazing photo's, so interesting to see the progression of swallowing the egg. We deal with rat snakes often with our chickens and purple martins. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Tanya C. | June 16, 2011 at 03:53 AM
Never a dull moment, eh? EEEEEEEEeeeekkkk! Snakes I don't deal with too well. When my middle son was a wee lad he had a 6 foot snake of some variety that visited the children's treehouse. When the snake shed its skin, my son carefully brought the skin to his bedroom with the instructions that I only dust or vacume around the skin. He was about 6 years old.
Bye bye cuties Popsicle, Riblet and Dumbo. I will miss seeing your photos.
Posted by: Jennifer Woodward | June 16, 2011 at 03:42 AM
BYE, BABIES...I HOPE THEY ARE WHERE YOU CAN VISIT THEM IF YOU WANT TO!!! :D
THAT SNAKE IS *YUCK*YUCK*YUCK! NOT A FAN. I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU PUT BOILED EGGS OUT FOR THEM, THEY WILL DIE AFTER INGESTING. BUT SINCE HE'S RELOCATED, YOUR INTENTION WAS NOT TO KILL. NOT SURE I COULD HAVE BEEN THAT NICE THIS TIME AROUND!!! GLAD YOU AND THE CHICKENS AND DUCKS ARE SAFE NOW. *HUGS*. AND NO MORE SNAKES! (GREAT PHOTOS, BY THE WAY!)
Posted by: diane mcvey | June 15, 2011 at 11:29 PM
Wowza, you sure do experience exciting things on a farm! I sorta love that you relocated him, not that I love snakes, mind you... yikers! Your hubby is very brave!
Posted by: Libby | June 15, 2011 at 11:14 PM
There seem to be quite a few. . .ggggghhhhisiichchhh. . . large reptiles around. Is there a reason they get relocated, as opposed to, say, permanently removed? Will this snake not be able to find his way back to the snack bar later?
Posted by: MicheleP | June 15, 2011 at 11:03 PM