Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

I discovered why egg production from our two little red hens has been  
nonexistent for about a week now. It is quite a thrill to open the  
exterior nest door and find a big blacksnake lying in a nest. Got the  
long-handled loppers and poked at it, thinking it would drop into the  
henhouse and then go out the door. It made the fatal mistake of  
sticking its head out at me and opening its mouth in a threatening  
manner. I was impressed enough to use the blades of the loppers just  
behind the head.

It had a big bulge in its middle about the size of a squished egg.

I regret having to kill this snake. Blacksnakes eat mice, which helps  
to reduce rattlesnake and copperhead populations in the house area.  
This snake, or its mate, took two phoebe nestlings a few weeks ago. I  
let it be, thinking of mice. But my eggs, well, that is my food, and  
that is where one of the lines is drawn.