Topic: Chicken Snake update

[UNCLEG]

In earlier post I mentioned my theory that the snakes could smell/sense fertile eggs.  Any way this summer I have killed 4 to 5 large chicken snakes all chowing down on fertile eggs.

Well I pulled stunt on one today, I had a small hen setting on 3 fertile frizzle bantam Cochin eggs and 1 golf ball, eggs were due to hatch next Saturday.  Today when I went  to feed birds all the fertile eggs were gone and so was the golf ball....Hope it chokes on it!!!

Fortunately I have been holding back a few fertile Cochin eggs so now she is sitting on 4 fertile eggs and one golf ball.

[Jim]

Obviously it's some kind of sense unless that golf ball smelled like a fertile egg cause it was laying next to one.  I'm sure it is gonna have trouble digesting that.  Wonder if it's waste outlet can expand as much as the mouth? 

[Dianna]

Jim!

G, have you been sitting on those eggs to keep them warm while holding them back?

[eca_payne]

Jim in response to your message. Im not sure if you know this but i think that snakes throw up everything that cant be digested. Im not to sure if snakes have a waste outlet or if they just regurgitate everything lol i know one in particular that just throws all the waste up... I could be wrong but i think i seen that on the discovery channel

[barleychown]

As for smelling fertile eggs, it may not be the eggs themselves, but the odd smell the hen produces while brooding. I have noticed with my own hens, wether on infertile or fertile eggs they take on an odd, sickening sweet smell...very easy to identify.

I have a rather sensitive nose...has anyone else noticed this?

[UNCLEG]

Dianne, I have been keeping the backup eggs at room temp, as long as you do not refridgerate the eggs they will remain viable for several weeks( so I have been told)  I only hold mine for 2 weeks tops, and have had very good luck with hatching, that is before the snake infestation.  There is going to be a major cleaning of the woods behind the pens this fall.

And I think it is correct that snakes regurgitate what they cannot digest, However not being able to digest any of golf ball has me hoping it will choke on it.  So a story on PBS or discovery channel were some pet snake swallowed golf balls and the operated on it to remove the golf balls otherwise it would have died.  Thats were I got the idea to put golf balls in with the fertile eggs.

[eca_payne]

i was once told that sulfur detours snakes! If you pour a line of sulfur around what you dont want them in. They will not cross the line of sulfur but becareful not to trap them in your line!!!