Monday, May 18, 2015

Snake Season

Nature's rhythms seem to assure the black snakes will be coming out of hibernation just about the time the farm is full of Spring eggs and baby chicks. This is the second snake we've found and relocated in a week. The first was in a nest box at Hen-a-bago 3, contentedly digesting eggs. I discovered it when I heard the hens raising such a ruckus I had to see what was upsetting them. The snake pictured below was discovered by our livestock guardian dogs as it slithered its way toward a coop full of week-old chicks. Their barking caught our attention and Charlie used his "snake catcher" to hold the snake as we drove it to the woods on the other side of the farm and released it to hunt something other than our next layer flock.


This black rat snake was looking for a meal. We appreciate the rodents these snakes eat but we prefer not to have them eating the eggs or young chicks. So we gave this one a ride to another location on the farm.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

More Chicks

A broody hen will sit on any eggs no matter the breed or even the species. This white rock has hatched out some New Hampshire Reds.