AAHHhhhh 40" Black snake in nesting box!!

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Snakes can and will kill chickens as well as eat eggs.
You can find videos on youtube of snakes trying to swallow a chicken head first. It's not a pretty site and the poor bird suffers terribly. I will not tolerate snakes on my property for this reason.
 
I don't think these smaller blackies will try to eat one of our full grown RIRs.

I am concerned as mentioned, 3 girls were roosting and 1 pacing. I now have a broody. She just hangs in coup and sits on the eggs or the fake eggs. Since this incident. Meal worms won't even get her off the best.

Oh, we don't have a rooster, it's just the 4 girls.
 
I like having black snakes around because they will kill copperheads. They can't eat a full grown chicken. If they get an occasional egg, no problem.
 
Kates Chooks said:
Snakes can and will kill chickens as well as eat eggs.
You can find videos on youtube of snakes trying to swallow a chicken head first. It's not a pretty site and the poor bird suffers terribly. I will not tolerate snakes on my property for this reason.
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I second this! I try to be live and let live, but I've had snakes (usually large rat snakes here) try to eat, and then cough up mutliple birds overnight. It's really horrible.

And, I've had to dispatch large diamondback rattlesnakes in my coup. I look VERY carefully as I enter now, and am wary of the "snake smell" y'all are talking about. So gross!!

I hope the black snake from the OP got the message and stays far away to snack on mice another day!
 
BigBirdRick said:
Back a couple months ago, my wife Joyce and our daughters (meet them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1150316/hey-yall-from-fort-mill-s-c ) went to look in on our girls, They saw this little guy checking out the new "digs" apparently in his yard, seeing that we are relatively new to raising backyard chickens. I don't believe he enjoyed a free feast yet.




I went to feed our girls their morning greens and fruits the next day, this is usually when I collect our delicious gifts from the nesting boxes. Oh boy, and I mean OH BOY did I ever get a surprise when I lifted the lid! I generally just start reaching into box without fully looking where my hand is going. Just as my hand was going in I caught a glance of something that did not look normal and "half black egg". As I looked closer, WHOA a 40" black snake was about to enjoy one of our girls "gifts" as we call them here. Needless to say. the lid slammed shut! I took a deep breath and thought for a moment.I lifted the lid once again and propped it open. I reached in again, grabbed the prep right behind his head with my left hand, grabbed ahold of the not half swallowed egg with my right hand. I won't say it was an epic battle of ownership, but it was like a good game of "Battle Ship". He clamped down harder, I also dug in my heels and the tug of war began. Sorry, no pictures my hands were a bit busy and the black snake wasn't up to posing for a selfie with me :)


4a5ba79a_IMG_20160919_114452851.jpeg



I know you all are wondering...... Big Bird Rick WON!!!!! I saved the "gift" one of our girls blessed us with!



In the end, the black snake although left hungry, he did not loose his head. I gave him a few "love taps" with the seen stick to make him feel unwelcomed in the coop. He has not been sited even remotely close. He lives across our street comfortably in the woods. We believe in "Live and let Live"!

Thanks for reading.
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he'll be back... at night.
 

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