Saturday, May 29, 2010

Snakes Can Keep a Beat

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday two 4 ft rat snakes showed up in the barn. A storm was brewing and my girls were getting the horse in the barn. As PJ was approaching the nesting bucket, she noticed one trying to get his mouth around a chicken egg. As we attempted to remove it with a rake, we found its mate under the bucket. They soon tired of our poking and slowly made their way through the walls of the barn. I never did see where they went.

Well, today they returned and all of a sudden this didn't feel like such an adventure.

While the kids and I were inside learning about snakes through this great blog that shows you how to get the most out of The Handbook of Nature Study, the chickens were outside making a fuss. One snake had swallowed a shaker egg we use to encourage the chickens to lay in the nesting bucket. That didn't fare well for the snake. But he did keep time as he tried to slither away.

6 comments:

Barb said...

What a great story about the shaker egg! I am starting to see a pattern with chicken eggs and snakes....I have never made that connection before.

Thank you for sharing your link.
Barb

Unknown said...

But he did keep time as he tried to slither away

Unknown said...

I mean...that's funny!

Unknown said...

We, too, have been fighting an epic battle of rat snake vs. chicken. Sadly we didn't have a shaker egg to take the hit.

Laura said...

Aw, poor snake.... He didn't know.

We have snakes here, and I'm always trying to keep the dogs away from them. Snakes are great for keeping down the mice!

Lady With A Fork said...

I am so upset that I go months between reading your blog Cindy, I mean there is ALWAYS something that is bound to give me a good laugh. The shaker egg, man that's hilarious!! I wonder how much of a "stomach ache" that thing had since the fake egg was sure not to digest. I wonder if it killed the snake?!?