The heat seems to be making all the nasty bugs and reptiles (who I consider considerably less nasty than the insects) quite active. Flys are everywhere, hornets & wasps are getting aggressive and I’ve even seen the tiny brown lizards sitting on the shade of the deck so they don’t pop their radiators (that is what happens when they get too hot, right??)
Over the past week or so, I’ve been finding pieces of eggshells in the nest boxes and was worried that I had an egg-eating hen on my hands. The weird thing about it was that half the shell was still there. Any egg-eating chicken I had would leave not a scrap and the only evidence would be a wet spot in the laying box so I was wondering what was up with the half-shell.
I found out this evening when I went to collect eggs. A black snake was making a meal out of the contents of one of the nest boxes, and there was an egg shell left behind. Curious as I was, I let the little bugger finish swallowing the egg he started and it cracked before it was down his throat. Picked him up and stuffed him into a pillowcase to relocate down the road. Although I did really, really consider chopping his scaly head off.
My biggest fear is one day walking into the coop and finding a snake. I'm not sure how I will handle it but I'm pretty certain it won't be as well as you did! ((shudder))
ReplyDeleteI always heard snakes would get into nests like that. I'm glad we haven't had any do that. Yet.
ReplyDeleteOur egg production has cut in half. I keep telling my husband that it is a black snake not just the heat. So far, we haven't found one though.
ReplyDeleteWe lost a hen yesterday due the heat even though they have shade and lots of water.
These are not good days for chickens.
The heat is not good for any of the animals, except the bugs / reptiles I'm finding out.
ReplyDeleteThe snakes are sneaky little buggers, never know when they'll start visiting, but when they find the free & easy meal they'll keep coming back. We had one a few years back with at least six eggs inside his belly.