The good news is that after Little Ducky's close call (you can read about it in this post - More Drama in the Chicken Coop), he's doing well For a couple of days he had a lot of trouble getting around and we weren't sure if he was going to make it. Here's a 30 second video clip of how he's doing now.
The bad news is that another black snake sneaked into the coop and killed two of our four ducklings. Little Ducky was NOT one of them, but the loss is still discouraging, nonetheless.
Dan and I are now talking about an overhaul of the chicken coop. Snakes have killed baby poultry over the years (and stolen who knows how many eggs). We did snake proof the coop once-upon-a-time, but they still squeeze in who knows where. The other problem is the squabbling for the space under the nest boxes. Rearrangements are in order.
Ducklings: Good News Bad News © June 2023
13 comments:
Snakes are our biggest problem in the coop. This year they are plentiful. RHill, TX
Oh so sorry to hear about the snake and babies. We have planned to build a new coop for 2 years now, but his work continues to over work him. We can't afford to hire someone either, and family is too busy to come out and help.
RHill, I'm sorry to hear that! They aren't like 4-legged varmints that can be caught in a live animal trap. Much sneakier and harder to eliminate.
Kristina, I hear you about projects and time. It's the ongoing dilemma of everyone who lives this lifestyle. Dan's pretty fired up about this latest incident, so I think he's putting the chicken coop at the top of his to-do list (we do have the advantage of being retired, although that hasn't shortened the project list any.)
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Look forward to seeing your solutions. Y'all always come up with great ideas!
Daisy, I appreciate the vote of confidence! We thought we were pretty secure before, but obviously not. We have to try and do something.
I think predators are a huge on going issue with small flocks. I'd never thought of snakes as an issue before as it's not generally a problem here. I've had to lock up my girls in the coop as it's pretty secure, due to an ongoing predator issue. I'm thinking an overly bold raccoon, going into the barn during the day to steal eggs, even right from under the broody chook, but I haven't any real proof of what animal it was. The chooks aren't happy about being locked in during the nice weather, but at least they're safe.
Nina, whatever preys on them is an issue. Chickens do love to roam and don't realize their danger. I don't envy you the raccoons, but we've had skunks enter the coop in broad daylight and kill chicks.
What a lucky little duck. I went back and read the story. Dan sure got there just in time. We've had problems over the years with snakes in the chicken coop too. So far this year we've had none. Hope it stays that way. Gosh, that's funny how all the mamas want to pile up together.
Henny, pretty amazing, wasn't it? There's some comfort that he's one of the two survivors, but it's still very sad to lose the others.
Snakes are tough to keep out. I think having so many cats helps because it keeps the mouse population down (another snake delicacy), but once they find eggs and babies, it's another battle. I hope your year continues to be snake free!
How frustrating, Leigh. I cannot imagine the mechanics of snake-proofing a coop because, as you note, they have very different body shapes (adapting to things like sliding through small holes.
TB, especially because we thought we snake proofed it before. Twice. Maybe the third time will be a winner.
We should probably snake-proof our coop as well. There are some pretty big bull snakes here. But I'm not even sure where we'd start. The mice have already chewed a hole in the door which I'm sure a snake would love to use. So what are some things you've done? What will you try next?
Ann, mostly we've tried to cover all holes by either boarding them up or covering with screen. I think now, they're coming in under our corrugated metal roof. The waves in the metal make gaps that are the likely entry points, so that's the next thing to block. They could also come in through the chicken door, which is left open all day for the chickens to come and go.
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