so sad - *graphic pix* has this chick been killed by a snake?

[ausamerican33]

I am so upset. 2 weeks ago, and this morn, I've gone out to our baby chicks (6 weeks old) and found a dead chick. It looks like the head and neck had been swallowed, and then nothing else. We have a brooder inside a 10 by 30 foot chain link fence, with chicken wire on the bottom 18 inches, and thick plastic tarp and 4 inch wire on the roof. The chicks are allowed to go in and out of the brooder through a small hole. The first time, I had gone out to put the chicks in the brooder, and there was a dead chick - looked the the pictures below. And then we found this one this morning. I think it's a snake -what else would leave the head and neck looking wet but intact, and the rest of the body fine?? I've taken pictures to get other people's opinion, to see if you think it's a snake too. And what should I do?? Right now, the baby chick pen is next to the big hens coop - they free range, and get locked up at night. The plan was to wait until the babies were 16 weeks old, and then swing out the end fence panel and add another one, so the coop and baby chick pen are joined up. Right now, every day we put in 2-3 big chickens in with the babies to socialize, and they do fine. The big chickens can go up to the little chicks through the chain link fence. Do you think I should just join them together now, in hopes that the big chickens will protect the little ones, and then also the little ones will be locked in the coop at night, for more protection? I'm just so sad about this all, and don't know what to do. Any input and advice would be soooo appreciated. I apologize for the graphic pix, but I wanted to see if y'all thought I was right about it being a snake. And I put in lots of baby chicken pen pictures so you can see if I've made any mistakes. There are a few gaps, and we could add chicken wire to the whole enclosure if we need to. We didn't dig in the chicken wire, b/c the intent is for the coop and pen to be movable - the coop we move all over the pasture.

My poor baby

The brooder - it's only about 2 x 3 feet - small, b/c they have the whole outdoor area 24/7.

Big hens eating some scratch nearby

Where the non-covered area and covered area meet - there is about a 4 inch gap.

And here's one of my favorite pictures of my 2 yr old with her favorite hen, Cleo, on the swing. Totally not related to this thread, but I needed a happy picture to remind me of the good things about raising animals.

 

[Love my Critters!]

It definately looks like a snake started eating it and for some reason regergitated(SP) it. Either the chicken was too big or the snake was scared by something and felt the need to leave. I would start snake hunting. Keep us posted.

 

[b.hromada]

Awwww, I'm sorry about your baby.

Poor little thing. But your picture of your daughter with her hen is just priceless! She is just adorable!

 

[AHappychick]

I think you are right about the snake. Can you cover more with 1/2 inch hardware cloth? I see spots with chicken wire and maybe before it has eaten it can slither through.

I think your idea of putting with the bigger chooks is a good idea if that coop is more secure. let them all get to play together today and see if there is any major fighting if not let them all sleep together tonight.

Good Luck so sorry about your chick.

 

[jsimplytx125]

That is so sad. I hate to inform you, not that I'm positive it's a snake, But, if all that is between the outside and your chicks is chicken wire, up to 4 feet,(they can stretch) any snake can get in. Well, any skinny hungry snake. And if there is anything to crawl up like chain link, they'll easily come in thru the top.
I used to find one in my 6 foot tall dove cage, on legs two feet off the ground chicken wire totally surrounding it. The snake would slither in, have dinner, but be too fat (lumpy) to leave. dispatched with DH 22 rifle.
Sounds like you have a building project in the very near future. Good luck, where are those dang cats when you need them?

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

sorry about your chick, but your 100% right about the snake. theirs not much you can do except hunt them. their also is some wire that is snake proof though. by the way, what kind of chicken is "Cleo"?

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

buy a mongoose

 

[ausamerican33]

Cleo is an Aracauna. And if that snake shows it's face again - it will no longer have a face!! I've been worried about putting the babies in with the big chickens, but I think that will be the lesser of the two evils right now. I'll leave the brooder in, so the babies will have a place to escape to. The thing is, then the layer pellet will be accessible to the babies. And also, I free-range my hens, but I feel like my chicks are too young to free range. And the chickens need access to the coop to lay there eggs. So maybe the big chickens will just have to be confined in the pen and coop with the babies, until the babies are big enough to free range. I think a snake could get into virtually anything, so I don't really know how to stop it. And we have 4 cats!! They catch the little snakes, but won't mess with the big ones. And the coop/enclosure is on the other side of the fence w/ electric wire - so the cats tend to not try to sneak through the fence.

 

[Barnyard]

There is no doubt in my mind it was a snake and this is how I know:

I lost a chick just last week just like this.... my chicks are currently living with there mom in the "outdoors"....they have free range of the backyard all day. I was missing a chick and decided I would check the shed where they sleep.....as I walked over to the corner where they sleep i noticed the "tail" of something.....I backed up and started looking for a weapon that I could use. Me and snakes don't get along very well..... Anyway.....I couldn't find a light to see in the dark corner and I couldn't find a weapon

So I went back to the corner empty handed, there was no tail, but the chick was still there.....Looked just like your chick in the picture..... It took us a couple of hours, but we finally found the snake. He was hiding under the wood that runs the bottom of my shed..... needless to say he want eat another one of my chicks.....


ETA: Chances are your chick was to big for the snake and that is why he couldn't finish it. I "walked in" on my snake and he decided he better go....

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

That is certainly the work of a snack

Errrr SNAKE... Can you tell I'm hungry?!