Black racer near the chicken coop!

[gcbsmommy]

My goat pen and chicken coop share a wall. Today I was taking care of my goats and as we walked to their pen I saw a 3 foot black racer slither to the back of the pen. The goats were intrigued...kinda! Eventually, the snake made a run for it which is when we learned the wall between the goat pen and the coop has enough of a gap for a snake to get through to the coop! EEK! I haven't put my almost 4 week old chicks in the coop yet... They are almost completely feathered and I live in FLorida, so I was planning to throw them in there soon, but now that I know there is a black racer nearby and able to get in their coop....

What would you do? Would you try to relocate/kill the snake? Or might he just stick to finding mice and rats? (NO, I don't think so either............) My husband and I can't decide what to do if we see the snake again and whether we need to wait even longer to put the chicks in the coop........ Please advise!!! Thank you!

Kristina

 

[TLWR]

Fix the gap he can get into the coop. Racers eat the "bad" snakes don't they.
And where are you in FL that you are seeing snakes already? I was hoping we had much longer before I have to worry about what is slithering around our yard.

 

[gcbsmommy]

I've seen him in December and again today. I found his shed skin in my garden back in early November. We've had a REALLY warm winter. After the "cold snap"this weekend, I am resigned to sweating until November again.

 

[gcbsmommy]

It is going to be a pain in the fanny to close up that gap. It's 10 feet long and probably only 1/2 inch high. ARGH!

 

[donrae]

If that snake can get in there, so can another, and another.

 

[gcbsmommy]

If that snake can get in there, so can another, and another.

Nightmare!

 

[debid]

We have lots and lots of racers here. I don't think they can eat anything as large as a 4-week chick. They do climb well and they do raid bird nests in trees and eat those small eggs but I suspect they were in your coop looking for mice. That gap you've described is surely letting mice in.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

They might not be able to eat them, but it may not prevent them from trying. I've lost a few chicks to suffocation via snake. They try to swallow them down, can't and hack them back out. My lost chicks were Silkies though so they couldn't see very well. Maybe yours will be smart enough to avoid Mr. No Legs....
Nikki

 

[debid]

They might not be able to eat them, but it may not prevent them from trying. I've lost a few chicks to suffocation via snake. They try to swallow them down, can't and hack them back out. My lost chicks were Silkies though so they couldn't see very well. Maybe yours will be smart enough to avoid Mr. No Legs....
Nikki

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of a rat snake. Their jaws are large enough to eat a chicken egg and they may try to eat a 4-week chick. Racers are long but their heads are tiny and they're slim as snakes go.

 

[BirdyMe]

Not once in ten years have I had to deal with snakes in my coop. We have them around....rat snakes and Timber Rattlers....we see them on the property bu they never come up to the coop. Don't ask me what the secret is- I don't know! xD

I would either kill him or relocate him. Even if you fix the gap, if he really wants in he'll find another. I'm not familiar with Racers, so I wouldn't know if they could get a 4 week old chick down....but if he's only 3 feet long I wouldn't think so.