Big snake eating my eggs - Help !!!

[ArkRescue]

yes it can - that's how I kept finding egg goo on the other eggs - the eggshell would succumb to the jaw pressure of the snake and crack allowing the egg goo to ooze out into the nest. So when the egg cracks the snake has much less volume in its mouth and can therefore BITE. For more on snake bites and other life lessons call 1-800-more-info ..

LOL

FYI - a snake with an egg in it's mouth can't bite you

 

[ArkRescue]

I've seen the chickens eat lizards too - anything that MOVES in the pen that isn't too big for them to handle? They are ON IT - it's usually ICit that is the first to notice and she runs and grabs it, then they start chasing and stealing it from eact other and pull apart whatever it is ...... go ICit - she SAW IT and grabbed it LOL.

Chickens eat mice.

 

[ICit]

I've seen the chickens eat lizards too - anything that MOVES in the pen that isn't too big for them to handle? They are ON IT - it's usually ICit that is the first to notice and she runs and grabs it, then they start chasing and stealing it from eact other and pull apart whatever it is ...... go ICit - she SAW IT and grabbed it LOL.

can I have the beginning of the conversation for $500 Alex?

Or can I phone my friend Turbo?

 

[ArkRescue]

Hey wouldn't you rather your namesake be eating bugs and such? Rather than being jumped by Prince in As The Coop Turns?

can I have the beginning of the conversation for $500 Alex?

Or can I phone my friend Turbo?

 

[ArkRescue]

PS - don't bring cross-dressing Turbo into it .... he just starts trouble trying to get more nest box time than the others

Hey wouldn't you rather your namesake be eating bugs and such? Rather than being jumped by Prince in As The Coop Turns?

 

[ArkRescue]

Someone suggested I try sprinkling lime around the perimeter of the chicken coop to keep the snakes out - I did that as an interim measure until I can block all the places I see that a snake can get in.

Interestingly my theory that there was more than 1 snake? Bingo - there is. I found several eggs coated in egg goo yesterday afternoon, so that means there was another snake in there yesterday! How many snakes have meal reservations in my coop? Sheesh!

 

[aps45819]

sadly snakes will opt for the food that doesn't RUN every time

A few well placed shots from a decent pellet gun would slow those feral cats down so the snake could do his job

 

[aps45819]

yes it can - that's how I kept finding egg goo on the other eggs - the eggshell would succumb to the jaw pressure of the snake and crack allowing the egg goo to ooze out into the nest. So when the egg cracks the snake has much less volume in its mouth and can therefore BITE. For more on snake bites and other life lessons call 1-800-more-info ..

LOL

at that point the snake no longer has an egg in it's mouth

 

[ArkRescue]

A few well placed shots from a decent pellet gun would slow those feral cats down so the snake could do his job

 

[ArkRescue]

this is true - meaning it can then bite .....

at that point the snake no longer has an egg in it's mouth

 

[Dupontster]

Someone suggested I try sprinkling lime around the perimeter of the chicken coop to keep the snakes out - I did that as an interim measure until I can block all the places I see that a snake can get in.

Interestingly my theory that there was more than 1 snake? Bingo - there is. I found several eggs coated in egg goo yesterday afternoon, so that means there was another snake in there yesterday! How many snakes have meal reservations in my coop? Sheesh!

See post #3....You didn't do it did ya?....Well don't ask me for any more advice....

 

[ArkRescue]

Snakes don't read silly .....

See post #3....You didn't do it did ya?....Well don't ask me for any more advice....

 

[Cowgirl]

Someone suggested I try sprinkling lime around the perimeter of the chicken coop to keep the snakes out - I did that as an interim measure until I can block all the places I see that a snake can get in.

Interestingly my theory that there was more than 1 snake? Bingo - there is. I found several eggs coated in egg goo yesterday afternoon, so that means there was another snake in there yesterday! How many snakes have meal reservations in my coop? Sheesh!

Are you sure it's not a hen eating the eggs?

 

[ArkRescue]

positive - never ANY egg shells

Are you sure it's not a hen eating the eggs?

 

[Cowgirl]

positive - never ANY egg shells

That's because they'll eat the shells too. I'm just thinking you might have a combination problem going on.

 

[ArkRescue]

Maybe I've been fortunate but I've never had an egg-eating issue with any of my hens that I have seen evidence of. Anytime I've accidentally broken an egg in the coop I grab it all up fast and throw it outside the coop. I am going to spend more time watching to see what's going on and covering access points for snakes and see how it goes.

That's because they'll eat the shells too. I'm just thinking you might have a combination problem going on.

 

[ArkRescue]

No sign of a snake the past 2 days and eggs are not coated with anything, although I don't have as many eggs as I have collected in the past - the lime isn't as prevalent around the perimeter due to the rain (most of perimeter when I put the lime is under an overhang and not in direct line of rain).

 

[jedi2814]

In my experience (most of my 43 yrs.) snakes swallow the egg whole, leaving no debris. When I have caught them I have often been able to make out lumps in their bodies that are the undigested eggs (should I add here that my brother has actually cut them open to check it out). More likely your egg goo is caused by one of the chickens laying a soft shell egg that gets broken. The hens will eat all they can of a broken egg, but properly fed and cared for hens will rarely, if ever, break an egg on purpose.

...and the only good snake is a dead one. I don't care what they eat. I have cats (non feral and fixed, thank you), chickens and a dog to care of pests. Don't need snakes. They all need to be dead, dead, dead!!!!!

 

[ArkRescue]

I think my hens need a calcium supplement even though they are eating a "layer" feed. I have accidentally broken egg shells by handling them, so I know that the shells are not as hard as they could be. That said, I have SEEN an egg that was laid w/o a shell (rubberized outer membrane) - and it is weird looking. I agree that COULD be a possibility, but I am inclined to think that there are more snakes causing the problem. I just can't imagine that I have a hen that only lays eggs with no shell? I mean it happens 4/5 days a week that I see dried egg goo on eggs .....

In my experience (most of my 43 yrs.) snakes swallow the egg whole, leaving no debris. When I have caught them I have often been able to make out lumps in their bodies that are the undigested eggs (should I add here that my brother has actually cut them open to check it out). More likely your egg goo is caused by one of the chickens laying a soft shell egg that gets broken. The hens will eat all they can of a broken egg, but properly fed and cared for hens will rarely, if ever, break an egg on purpose.

...and the only good snake is a dead one. I don't care what they eat. I have cats (non feral and fixed, thank you), chickens and a dog to care of pests. Don't need snakes. They all need to be dead, dead, dead!!!!!

 

[PrepH4U]

I think my hens need a calcium supplement even though they are eating a "layer" feed. I have accidentally broken egg shells by handling them, so I know that the shells are not as hard as they could be. That said, I have SEEN an egg that was laid w/o a shell (rubberized outer membrane) - and it is weird looking. I agree that COULD be a possibility, but I am inclined to think that there are more snakes causing the problem. I just can't imagine that I have a hen that only lays eggs with no shell? I mean it happens 4/5 days a week that I see dried egg goo on eggs .....

We mix crushed oyster shells with their scratch that we give them for a treat. We also mix the shells with their feed. You can buy them wherever you get your feed.