2nd snake in Coop

I suspected a snake a few weeks ago when I was collecting less eggs than before. Then, when my brooding hen hatched out 4 chicks, within 4 days one went missing. Again, we suspected a snake. Two days after that, I found Mr. Gray Rat Snake (I live in AL and the black variety is rare here) sitting atop the nesting boxes. I relocated him to a dumpster a mile down the road to take care of rodents there.

When the chicks are bigger, though, we won't have to worry about snakes as much.
 
That is freaky he was up in the rafters while you were cleaning. I hate snakes, and have had them in my house. Freaky!! What a person can do is take the bigger sticky mouse traps and put them up in the rafters, maybe nail or screw them on. The snakes will stick to them and eventually die.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes, they have been after the eggs, The one I killed Sunday was 5 1/2ft long, as big around as my wrist with an big buldge where he had just eaten an egg. ***Graphic**** after he died, he spit up the yolk. I was so mad, I wanted to do CPR and kill him again. I am just getting my first eggs and they are all precious to me.
The sulfer did not work, he was slithering right thru it and I poured a whole box of moth balls under the coop.
I do not have a rodent problem, too many barn cats on the job so my eggs are just easy lunch.
For those of you that rehome them, I am grateful someone can do it. I personally could never touch a snake, much less ones this big. I live alone so unless someone comes along at the right time that will do it, they unfortunately get rehomed to snake heaven.
 
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Amy
 
A black snake's favorite treat is a baby chick AND they LOVE eggs. I've seen one climbing up a giant oak tree to get to a bird nest. It was after either the eggs or the babies (I don't know if the eggs had hatched yet). This was years ago. Me and my brothers threw shoes at it until it fell out of the tree...then we ran like hell because it came after us.

My neighbor has a terrible set up for her chickens (they have no house just a spot in the woods with chicken wire around some trees and buckets to lay in) and she sends her husband out at least once a week to kill a snake that's eating eggs...not rare at all.

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/elaobs.htm
Rat snakes feed on birds and their eggs as well as rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels. Known as the "chicken snake" in farming areas because they will readily eat chicks and chicken eggs, rat snakes also enter barns in search of mice and rats. Like corn snakes, they are very good climbers.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/pages/rat.htm
 
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I found my first snake in the coop last night. All the birds were roosting, and he was just next to a hen. We chased him away and laid sulfur down. What I want to know is if these rat snakes can eat my chickens? Are they generally after eggs? Size wise I don't think that one could have, but I still worry. Have any of you lost full grown or nearly full grown chickens to snakes? Thanks!
 
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I lost my 5 week old RIR roo to a black snake...I think it was a "rat" snake not a racer. My roo was a pretty good size for 5 weeks old. The snake was about 5' long. I really don't think they can eat an adult chicken. If they're hungry enough they may try which would be to late for the chicken because they kill the animal before they try to eat it.
 

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