So THAT's where the eggs are going...

We haven't been getting very many eggs from the girls ... and last night while I was locking up the hen house and gathering the last of the day's eggs, I found out why. ACK!

That lump you see behind it's head... that is it's most recent snack -- one of my large sized chicken eggs! It hadn't swallowed it yet when I saw it for the first time, and by the time Alan and I got back out to the hen house with the snake catchers, there was no getting that egg back. I'm guessing it ate at least 3 or 4 other small bantam eggs from the nest box, too.

This rat snake is over 4' long ... and while they are good snakes, I really don't want them in the hen house eating the eggs. Alan caught it and we relocated it to a remote wooded area about 4 miles from the farm. Not far enough away, if you ask me!

Comments

[Shellie Daniel]

Man, those things are creepy and big! I might have a heart attack if they were around here. I like all the offers to "off" the dude. :)

[Kellie]

ewww & double Ewww...I can't do snakes!!!

[MicheleP]

GEEESSCCHHHHH - I'd still be ON TOP of the hen house. I can't scroll back up - I have both the heebies and the jeebies. BLECH!!!!

[Robb_eeie]

Ohhh geesh Anna, you gave me the *Willies* with this pic ! Ack!!

[Lora]

SO glad I wasn't out there when you found the snake. Would much rather fight the fire!

[diane mcvey]

Your Dad cracks me up...my Dad didn't like snakes, either. His Grandpa scared him with a snake when he was young, and he's hated them ever since. I'm not a fan either; mostly because where I grew up we had BIG rattlesnakes. If I knew NONE of them were poisonous, I'd be OK with them. But some ARE, so I'm not a fan. This reminds me of the one on my slider door handle last year! So creepy! I hope 4 miles is far enough. I hope you won't see him or his friends ever again!! :)

[Jennifer Woodward]

YIKES!! I just about stepped on a snake in the barn yesterday. I love all of God's creatures, great and small. But I really must say, snakes are amongst my least favorite. Eeeewwwwwwww.

[Queen Mary]

Oh no! Silly snake... :)

[NormaJ]

Oh I'm so glad I live in the city, or suburbs anyway. But with a greenbelt behind us, we have a few little critters trekking through. Haven't seen any snakes yet though. They would mainly be garter snakes, so not hostile anyway.

[Alyssa S]

LOL I used to have 38 snakes (partially because a pair of snakes we rescued from a couple that had to move in the winter...the female snake was pregnant and gave birth to 19 baby red tail boas). However, as much as I love and respect snakes, this would have scared the jujubes out of me!!

[Sherri D.]

And she walked calmly to get Alan to rid the hen house of the snake??? Oh holy schmoly, trust me, if I was in that hen house, Alan and the entire State of Texas would have known I found a snake. That is freaky! I agree with your Dad, the weedeater to his head would be more appropriate. Probably scared the poor "girls" and that's not nice!!

[Carol Dee]

AGAIN !?!? Are you sure it isn't the same snake your relocated last summer? I enjoyed reading everyones reactions as much as the post. LOL Your Dad is too funny. I am with Michelle O ... They are fine where I expect tpo see them and at a distance. Not a happy camper when they get personal :( I am also hopeing he/she doesn't have any friends and relatives waiting their turn. UGH. Here is to a peaceful and snakeless day.

[Nebraska Dave]

Anna, snakes are not my buddies either. I had three garter snakes in my garden this year. They stayed away from me and I stayed away from them. I can deal with snakes if I have to but I would rather not. They are sneaky and don't make noise so they aren't seen until right up on them. They give me the willys for sure. Hopefully, that's the end of your snake problem.

Have a great day in the hen house.

[Ellen ♥ Cardmonkey]

OH MY, you ARE my very own version of Pioneer Woman!!!! I could not possibly get close enough to even take that picture of your rat snake. Not even with a verrrrrrry long lens. I suspect this is commonplace for you since you have a "snake catcher", but for me, NO WAY! I see no "good" in snakes. And thankfully it was ONLY eating eggs not chicks (please!!). You are brave beyond words.

[Michelle W]

I may have run screaming had I found such a big snake in my hen house, LOL! I'm very glad that you caught him and put him somewhere else safe, hopefully he doesn't make the long trip back to his wonderful food source. :-)

[Dee in NH]

Yikes! I would hate to reach in and find that thing!

[Melody B]

There's just something creepy about an animal with no arms or legs that can kill you ( though not a rat snake.) My dad in Florida had one that lived under his shed and you knew when he was out because the lizards would all be on top of the plants. A message for me to leave.

[Rita]

Oh, my god, I would have passed away if I found that!!!

[Dan Wight]

I've got a weedeater that has a solid blade that will make stir fry outa this guy in seconds! You no likey spiders, I no likey snakes..... that's bad JuJu, even dead that thing would give me nightmares for days!

[Sharli Schaitberger]

Alan is so brave and strong! WOWIE!
I would have fainted, Anna - you are brave and strong, too! That's a big snake!

[Gabriela Divine]

That rat snake is begging for me to run him right over with the car. Oh yes he is. It's my specialty!

[Michelle Oatman]

How did you not drop all the other eggs??? That is my big fear when the chicken house is open for business here. I don't see so well in shadows and dark as it is... I reach in and find that and Hubby might as well get the backhoe on the tractor going! Holy Smokes. I am ok with them out on the farm when I can see them.. I just make noise and they go away... but in the hen box. UH NO! Next time 8 - 10 miles away!
HUGS
MichelleO