Apparently there’s a snake in the hen-house. Looks like the hens had some stealthy company yesterday. The unwelcome guest left a bit of evidence behind for me to find this morning.

I searched under all of the nexts and behind the boxes and up in the rafters but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Sooner or later our paths are bound to cross, though.

The guilty party is a chicken snake, or black rat snake. They can get quite large. The last one I found stealing eggs and chicks was nearly the same length as I am tall, around 5’7″. The one that left the skin behind looks like it might be a bit smaller. Hopefully it won’t eat all of the chicks and eggs before I catch it.

Right now there are three hens setting eggs and unless I can find this snake before the chicks hatch, it doesn’t bode well. I’ll move the Americauna hen to the brooder with her clutch of eggs, since she’s been setting the longest and her eggs will hatch out first.