Sneaky Snakes

I've said in the past that I'd rather deal with a snake over a spider any day. Spiders just give me the "hibby gibbies." Not quite sure where the fear originates, but I do not like them! ! My reasoning stems from an awareness that they can climb onto you without ever being detected. Due to their small size and body weight, they are able to tippy toe across you unannounced. Yew! Where I know others are terrified of snakes and often for good reasons.

I've never been bitten by a snake, but I have been by a spider while tending a flower bed years ago. Unlike a bee sting, snake bit or scorpion sting (another adventure of mine). Spider bites come with tiny teeth and I never felt a thing that is until I awoke with a swollen, throbbing elbow. Inflammation at set in over night and put my arm in a sling for several days, while waiting for the meds to kick in.

At least with snakes you generally have a warning if you stay observant of your surroundings. Otherwise they will give you a good scare if you don't. (Ask me how I know!) There are even some species that give warning to their presence, like rattlers. In a general backyard we may cross paths with a couple of harmless garden varieties. Hardly ever a poisonous one, unless you venture into their backyards, the woods.

Contrary to popular belief that - "the only good snake is a dead one." There are a few that are beneficial to have around. A KING snake being one of those. They have an appetite for the poisonous snakes, a good thing in my book and welcomed to my farm. Then there is the RAT snake, most often found around field mice hangouts - corn cribs, barns, feed lots, barns, grain fields, barns. BARNS. They too can serve a purpose by keeping mice/rat populations in check and preventing their destructive habits on expensive feed sacks.

We've had a few over the past 2 years down at the BARN. As the old building hadn't been used for many years prior to our moving here. Allowing the mice to move right on in and set up home. They were thrilled when we move into the home place and began doing their grocery shopping and providing home delivery of tasty treats in assorted bags. We in turn was at first happy to see the rat snakes. Who helped evict these munchers of our precious grain. But the snakes quickly ate themselves out of a meal. Only then deciding to make use of another readily available snack and was dealt with the swift arm of justice. But I digress~ Having thought we had taken care of these marauding raiders we rested on the fact that we hadn't seen any more in quite awhile. Which brings me to the point of this post. Bet you thought I'd never get to it, huh?

Our hens have been laying faithfully all summer, even in the worst of heat. Even when harassed by the now penned up Roos. So we were a little bit surprise when the egg numbers started dropping some. Reasoning that a few were showing signs of an early moult. But the numbers continued to drop from 1 1/2 dz a day to less than 1/2 dz. S0 we began looking for illness among the flock or for new laying hideouts. Some of the hens like to practice their Easter egg hiding skills all year long. Not finding any new clues, we were puzzled about this downward turn in production. Now with hindsight we should have seen the answer for ourselves. DUD!

I personally blame it on the busyness of the garden and canning marathon of lately. The mystery was solved when it presented it's self in BROAD daylight. Draped across the nesting boxes, munching on eggs. This past week Lon (thankfully) has been the one to find and dispose of 3 rat snakes. Two in one day no less, last Saturday. That is when the light bulb finally came on. Gathering only 4 eggs that day is when 1+1=snakes. The hens hadn't decreased their laying after all. We just had new unknown diners at our farm table. Evidently word had gotten out that a new fast food restaurant was available.

Having an open air coop area for our chickens have gave the sneaky snakes plenty of places to slither in or should I say belly up for some free ranged eggs. Needless to say they are now on our most wanted poster and their dinning privileges revoked. We depend on our eggs, as does the few customers we have. I may have to apologise for not being able to fill orders this week. Although we should have remembered their feasting this summer on a clutch of Guinea eggs.

The battle lines have been drawn. The rest of the sneaky snake family doesn't know it yet, but they have already lost. Maybe I should put up a sign like I've seen in a few restaurants. "No shirts, no shoes - NO SERVICE! Mine would also say - NO dinning or take out allowed!

Reminds me of another "sneaky snake" many years ago who was sentenced to~

"On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life."
Genesis 3:14

Watching for squiggle lines in the dust,

Deborah

Added note: my luck ran out last night. Going down to gather eggs I found a sneaky snake draped over 2 boxes looking for a meal. Guess who wasn't home at the time? Yep, hubby had gone to a meeting. This one was quite large and I wasn't sure I could injure it enough to stop it's escape. So I sent up prayers instead for the Calvary to come. Lon did arrive home before it was through checking out the coop and gave it the same swift sentence the other free-loaders got. This one was the largest of them all, measuring over 5 feet! I thinking of changing my stance on snakes. What do you think?