Sunday, May 1, 2011

Chickens Everywhere and an Egg Thief

I went in to feed the chickens this morning and inspected the nesting boxes for eggs; turned around and the whole flock was outside the pen. Evidently the door had come open and while my back was turned they decided to go to the place where the grass was greener.  They were happy.  Most of them went back in pretty easily. The rooster and one of the Barred Rocks decided they wanted to see the countryside. But after a few minutes of herding they were back inside.

After that taste of freedom, they made another break for it. This time exploiting a weakness in my door design. Thad and Dwayne rounded them up. I found out about it later.


About 6 PM I went down to gather eggs and give them their evening feed. I had noticed 6 eggs earlier. When I went to the first nesting box there was about 8 inches of black snake tail hanging out. Like any good blogger, I first went to get my camera. I also grabbed a box and a pole. I removed the snake, which turned out to be a very fat black rat snake, and put it in the box.


I turned around and the chickens had taken advantage of my preoccupation and were grazing outside again. Who could blame them? I was wrestling a big black snake in their coop.


The chickens went back easily. Three of the six eggs remained. And, I relocated the 6-foot black snake to a chicken free home.  Farm life is wonderful....