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Post by osprey on Jun 27, 2011 15:30:44 GMT -5
Have a crazy snake story for you guys. I have a few chickens I keep for fresh eggs, in each of the nest boxes I have a golf ball. You can buy fake eggs, so the birds know where to lay, but old golf balls work just as well and were free. One day last week there were no eggs, but didn't think much of it. Next day only one egg. Third day no eggs again, AND the golf ball was gone from a nest box. Hmmmm, thinks I. Next morning I opened the box and sure enough, I saw black under the fluffed up straw in the nest box. When I got him out of there, a 4-5' long black snake, he had this really hard, round spot mid-way of his body. Dang snake had eaten my golf ball thinking it was another egg!! Guessing he got yolk on it when he crushed one of the eggs and thought it tasted good. Don't think he would have passed that, but he won't get the chance now anyway.
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Post by THE DEER HUNTER on Jun 27, 2011 15:38:52 GMT -5
Odd one - Maybe put extra golf balls in there & they will take care of any future snake problem for you. ;D
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Post by davep on Jun 27, 2011 19:46:48 GMT -5
Had this one a couple years ago. Five eggs in it, and it couldn't get out of the hole it got in thru.
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Post by brettgerhart on Jul 2, 2011 16:32:26 GMT -5
Nice story Dave! I have been thinking about getting chickens and hav a lot of snakes around as well! Any tips??
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Post by osprey on Jul 3, 2011 8:46:46 GMT -5
Hard to keep a snake out, but they only eat the eggs and are easily dispatched. Biggest problem is predators on the birds. I've only lost one bird in three years, to an owl, but built a Ft Knox coop. All fenced, with the fence buried 4" deep and a foot outward around the coop to keep out digging foxes, coons and skunks. Hog panel fencing on top - that's kept out all the preds except the one great horned owl - 4x6" holes in the panels were just enough for the owl to squeeze in, but he couldn't get out. Had to catch him with a net and get him out, but it was pretty cool to see.
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