I'm surprised the chickens didn't eat it. I haven't had snakes around the house since the chickens have been around. They love those things. They all chase after each other to eat one.All summer long I've been saying there is a snake in the chicken house. My only proof being eggs under the Broody hens disappearing. Tonight when I went out to shut the doors, I saw a snake w/it's tail just leaving the ceiling and a lump in it's belly. Did a quick look around but all babies were accounted for. Went and grabbed a pitch fork and speared the sucker!!! The lump in the snake was the golf ball from one of the nest boxes!!! This snake was only 3-4 feet long. Last year I shot a 6' black snake that had eaten my day old chicks.