Monday, June 29, 2009
A welcome Predator,
when I came home for lunch today and went to check on the chickens I found the 4 little black chicks all standing in a half circle making funny puckering noises. As I looked at them wondering what this was all about I suddenly noticed the snake in the middle of it all, trying to swallow a dead mouse. Wow, it's 112 degrees, I ran back into the house as fast as I could to get the camera. I got the chickens out of the pen where the snake was and closed the gate so the chickens couldn't go back in.
now the snake decided there were too many spectators and wanted to go to a quieter place so with the mouse halfway stuck in the snake's throat she took off, only to be unable to get through the gate with the mouse in her mouth, so I quickly opened the gate again, the snake went right through the gate, hurried past me and went into the next open door which was the barn, argh, that's not what I had it mind, but there she was. So closed the door to the barn and hoped for the best. The snake and the mouse where gone when I came home. This is the same snake I posted pictures of last year, I have seen her several times in the same general area, I guess she likes her hunting grounds here. As far as I know this is a Coachwhip snake that is known to hunt during the day. Shouldn't be a danger to my chickens, as she could barely get that mouse down. The rest of the chickens weren't interested in the snake at all, so have probably grown accustumed to her foraging around and since she probably doesn't care for normal chicken food, they seem to be tolerant of her.
when I came home for lunch today and went to check on the chickens I found the 4 little black chicks all standing in a half circle making funny puckering noises. As I looked at them wondering what this was all about I suddenly noticed the snake in the middle of it all, trying to swallow a dead mouse. Wow, it's 112 degrees, I ran back into the house as fast as I could to get the camera. I got the chickens out of the pen where the snake was and closed the gate so the chickens couldn't go back in.
now the snake decided there were too many spectators and wanted to go to a quieter place so with the mouse halfway stuck in the snake's throat she took off, only to be unable to get through the gate with the mouse in her mouth, so I quickly opened the gate again, the snake went right through the gate, hurried past me and went into the next open door which was the barn, argh, that's not what I had it mind, but there she was. So closed the door to the barn and hoped for the best. The snake and the mouse where gone when I came home. This is the same snake I posted pictures of last year, I have seen her several times in the same general area, I guess she likes her hunting grounds here. As far as I know this is a Coachwhip snake that is known to hunt during the day. Shouldn't be a danger to my chickens, as she could barely get that mouse down. The rest of the chickens weren't interested in the snake at all, so have probably grown accustumed to her foraging around and since she probably doesn't care for normal chicken food, they seem to be tolerant of her.
// posted by ZaltanaAnatolians @ 7:54 PM 
