Pills for an Egg Thief

[Ezana4CE]

I went to collect some eggs this evening and there were several ladies in the hen house. I happened to look around the hen house and found this rat (chicken) snake coiled up in the corner. I’m wondering why they didn’t kill it, then I did. I didn’t realize the camera didn’t focus well until after the fact.

After shooting it, it was apparent that it ate an egg. So far by my count, I’m short one egg. it’s tough to aim in there so close, but keeping some wood behind the shot was the goal. As you can see the 2x4 took the pass through.

As you can see below, egg yoke came oozing out of its body.

 

[RoosterCogburn]

I went to collect some eggs this evening and there were several ladies in the hen house. I happened to look around the hen house and found this rat (chicken) snake coiled up in the corner. I’m wondering why they didn’t kill it, then I did. I didn’t realize the camera didn’t focus well until after the fact.
View attachment 588106

After shooting it, it was apparent that it ate an egg. So far by my count, I’m short one egg. it’s tough to aim in there so close, but keeping some wood behind the shot was the goal. As you can see the 2x4 took the pass through.
View attachment 588107

As you can see below, egg yoke came oozing out of its body.
View attachment 588108

You've got some really pretty ratsnakes out there

 

[Ezana4CE]

You've got some really pretty ratsnakes out there

@RoosterCogburn They Just look like rat snakes to me. I don’t mind them much around my home, but we aren’t sharing food. If I had a way to get them to stick to frogs and rodents we’d have a great partnership.

 

[RoosterCogburn]

@RoosterCogburn They Just look like rat snakes to me. I don’t mind them much around my home, but we aren’t sharing food. If I had a way to get them to stick to frogs and rodents we’d have a great partnership.

That one would ultimately go after chicks. Last two have been bery healthy with very nice scales and coloring/patternings

 

[Ezana4CE]

That one would ultimately go after chicks. Last two have been bery healthy with very nice scales and coloring/patternings

@RoosterCogburn I assume that all rat snakes would go after chicks if they can eat an egg. I’ve walked in the hen house some years back and saw one coiled up against a puffed up hen that squared up on it. Chicks go in the brooder first, so they’d be larger than an egg. A snake that size might get killed. It was lucky I’d let the big girls out to free range. Over seen them eat little ones and found remnants of a dead one in one of the chickens favorite spots around my house. It took me a couple of days to figure out what had died and was stinking.

As for defending the hen house, I prefer a pneumatic bb gun for snakes. Sticks don't work well because they some times get away and a machete is messy. Surprisingly the GK1 shot inside this small space wasn’t deafening. I used what I had on hand. It was already sitting outside acclimating to outside temps so when I put the eggs up, it was right in my path back to the hen house.