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.
[Homestead] Egg production loss solved,
Gene GeRue, 08/08/2008