Sterner stuff...

A few nights ago we had yet another snake in our chicken coop. 

A little while ago our coworker came in and built a fancy new coop for the 40 some chicks we brought in recently. That coop is amazing (albeit too small now for our fast-growing chicks....there are plans to build a couple additions). But even the fancy coop had some initial problems and somehow there was a hole that a snake managed to slip through on like day 3 and kill a chick or two. It's made out of aluminum everything and while it still needs a better roof, roosting spot, and eventually nesting boxes, it's a great start and way better for snake prevention.

But that's the new coop. We also have our old coop which houses 4 older hens and 5 new ducks. Let's just say the old coop has seen better days. The screen has rusted out on the sides, the floor of it has been flooded over many times despite attempts to build it up, and the nesting spot is a sad little box with a rusted out tin roof over it. But the new ducks we brought in are starting to acclimate to it even though they are all still struggling to get along. 

We brought in the ducks from town last time we came in. We heard ducks are great for snake prevention and a friend had found someone who was willing to sell his juvenile ducks for a good price. We have another friend in town who always helps us take care of the quarantine letter needed for flying ducks and chickens on airplanes so I once again contacted her to ask if she could help take care of these for us. She was willing and was able to help us get them on a flight a couple days after we had already left. 

We were excited at the prospect of having less snakes around and near our houses and coops. However, within a 1 week period, instead of having less snakes we have had more. Hah! Oh the irony. Those crafty pythons seem to think the scent of duck is very exotic and alluring. A few nights ago we heard a commotion, and sure enough Sam went out to check and there was a snake trying to get to a duck through a hole in the side of the coop. The weapon that he chose on his way out the door was a shovel. So as I watched from the comfort of my room as always, he took a shovel to that snake. I never saw it but he said it was long and pretty skinny. Note: every single snake we've found trying to get to the chickens has been a python. I swear there's thousands of them out in the jungle and while I know they're harmless and beautiful, I hate them and wish them dead.. especially if they go after our chickens (and now ducks). Thankfully the snake was unable to kill the duck in time to meet it's own demise. Although, I went to go check out the snake the next day and it was nowhere to be found. It probably went limping home to it's older brother.

Enter two nights ago. We were awoken at around midnight to some flapping and squawking. We knew it was a snake. So I ran and got Sam a machete from the front porch (nothing like falling out of bed in a burst of adrenaline) and he quicky ran over to see what was going on. Apparently big brother python had arrived and was attempting to hang a duck by it's neck. Seems like he really didn't like what happened to his younger sibling and was exacting revenge. Ducks sleep on the ground but we also have roosting spots up high for the chickens. I guess he couldn't constrict the duck's neck enough to kill it so instead he wrapped his body around it and was then slithering up to the roosting spot pulling the duck behind it. The duck wasn't having it and was flapping around like a maniac. Sam took the machete to it, it's whole lower half dismembering. And he still had to work to unwrap the snake's body from around the duck's neck. Miraculously the duck escaped unharmed. Ok maybe ducks ARE good for something. One of the ducks, though, had escaped the coop in the chaos and disappeared. Thankfully some kids found it the next morning hunkering down a little ways into the jungle. I was glad to know it hadn't been taken by an even larger snake. 

This python was a beast, though, as thick as the middle of my forearm. We've had so many snake encounters at this point that we didn't want to mess with it that night and just wanted to go back to bed. So Sam ensured it was not alive anymore and left it on the boardwalk. The next morning I explained what happened to the first guy who came down and pointed it out to him. Word spread pretty quick and eventually someone brave enough (so many Asmat people are terrified if snakes) came down and took it home to cook up. 

So the jury is still out on whether having ducks is worth it. Though they seen pretty hearty. If those snakes had gone for the chickens, they'd be dead. Chickens scare to death quite easily. Ducks seem to be made of sterner stuff. Our ducks are not fans of sleeping in the coop now, though, and have decided they'd rather all huddle together out in the open. Last night we had an insane thunderstorm with rain, lighting and thunder that kept shaking the whole house. I peeked out this morning and they're all fine as can be. Unlike chickens, they seen to welcome the rain. 

We have a lot more snake stories to tell like the time Sam shut himself up in a flooded coup with a giant python that had just scared three chickens to death or the time he found a seven-foot python under my bed one morning or the time the staff at the clinic had to treat a child who came in for what we think was a dry bite of a death adder. So now as I'm remembering all of our snake encounters, I'm second guessing my entire life decisions and wondering why I let my kids go outside barefoot.  Unfortunately, this probably won't be our last snake experience so....I guess, stay tuned for more? 

**I apologize to anyone who reads this who happens to love snakes or are members of PETA. I personally feel as though our actions are entirely justified. We do what we must to keep our pet fowl alive!