Are Gopher Snakes a Threat? (pics of the big guy)

[Kev]

used to have lots gopher snakes before development went up around. they never even tried mid size or adult chickens here. just passed thru a flock of chickens gawking at it.

they can eat eggs and some will go for chicks though. I simply used 1/2 inch hardware cloth on brooders and that completely ended snakes getting in and killing some chicks. when I find a snake in nest, in process of eating eggs.. just sigh and pick it up and move it out. just keep telling myself they usually eat rodents which is a great thing......

when handling, always be SURE it is a gopher before even trying.. if nervous just gently pick up the tail and immediately put head into a bucket then drop. relocate. no need to grab it by the head if just relocating. trying to will just irritate the snake into being grumpy or defensive. by the way their personalities vary.. some are mellow and very handleable.. able to pick them up like a pet snake, but be a little careful anyways.. and some are total grumpy gus.. going wild and trying to liberally apply their teeth to anything moving and in their reach as soon as they see someone or as soon as they are picked up.

 

[fancyfeathers38]

I'd just keep an eye out for it. It's to small to handle fully grown chickens but like others have said it could try for eggs or chicks. Just make sure your brooders are secure.

I get plenty of pythons around my place but they are never big enough to threaten my chooks. I like having them around to eliminate rats, after all that's all they want. Here's a pic of one my dogs were barking at one night.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Wow. That is REALLY impressive! (Did you capture that happening??? Yikes.)

 

[rachelrulz]

no. they are not a threat to your chickens. I have a gopher snake that lives under the coop and I let him stay because he eats the rattlesnakes that DO harm your chickens. Keep him around. You won't regret it!

BUT...If you let little baby chicks roam around with the big ones, watch out...

 

[animals1981]

you can pick him up he will hiss like a rattle snake and pretend to bite you it wont hurt tho just make sure you dont pick up the wrong snake


a bull snake is NOT a rat snake it wont touch larger chickens maybe tiny chicks rat snakes once in a blue moon might go after a bantam and i have heard from this forum people saying they strangle adults a bull snake wouldnt be able to do that because their method of killing is not the same as a rat snake they dont strangle the same way they constrict by pressing up agaisnt things while a king or a rat will choke things to death
]

STIll it is very uncommon for a snake to kill things to large to swallow if that was the case then there would be constantly dead things all over the place it just wouldnt make sense to do that


king snakes bull snakes rat snakes racers all rattle their tails and pretend to be rattle snakes to scare u but they are clearly not you can still just grab them and their bites wont hurt, if u can take a spur from a rooster a snakes bite will be a joke to you.

 

[fancyfeathers38]

Wow. That is REALLY impressive! (Did you capture that happening??? Yikes.)

Yes I captured that happening. This is our second time we have had a python eating the rats.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

no. they are not a threat to your chickens. I have a gopher snake that lives under the coop and I let him stay because he eats the rattlesnakes that DO harm your chickens. Keep him around. You won't regret it!

BUT...If you let little baby chicks roam around with the big ones, watch out...

I saw it again today. IN the run. I did, just today, let a baby chick out with the broody and the others. The snake and the other chickens were just sort of looking at each other... no pecking, no attacking, just curious bocking. This time I had the shovel and banged against the stump it was loitering around. I think it may have actually taken refuge inside the log, which I promptly moved out of my run and stood upended. I reeeaaallly don't want it going for the chick, or the eggs. If it's in the log (I really can't tell), it's getting relocated far, far away. Funny, I moved the log into the run several months ago. I'm starting to wonder if it's been living there.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Yes I captured that happening. This is our second time we have had a python eating the rats.

Wow, what a photo!

 

[Atomic Ranch]

you can pick him up he will hiss like a rattle snake and pretend to bite you it wont hurt tho just make sure you dont pick up the wrong snake


a bull snake is NOT a rat snake it wont touch larger chickens maybe tiny chicks rat snakes once in a blue moon might go after a bantam and i have heard from this forum people saying they strangle adults a bull snake wouldnt be able to do that because their method of killing is not the same as a rat snake they dont strangle the same way they constrict by pressing up agaisnt things while a king or a rat will choke things to death
]

STIll it is very uncommon for a snake to kill things to large to swallow if that was the case then there would be constantly dead things all over the place it just wouldnt make sense to do that


king snakes bull snakes rat snakes racers all rattle their tails and pretend to be rattle snakes to scare u but they are clearly not you can still just grab them and their bites wont hurt, if u can take a spur from a rooster a snakes bite will be a joke to you.

Lol, thanks. It was about 6 or 7 feet from my broody and her chick, so naturally I didn't care for that. When it hid under/inside of the log, I wanted to keep an eye on it, so I couldn't go get gloves or anything... I just figured to slowly move the log and trap it underneath a large water bin. But when I moved the log, it wasn't there! Since I watched it disappear underneath, and didn't take my eyes off of it, it must still be inside the log. It's making me nervous.... especially with the chick..... so should I put that log in the truck and take it elsewhere? Or just let it out?

 

[Kara515]

Dumb question-- how do you handle a snake? If it comes around again, I'm going to try to pick it up and put him in a bin and hike into the hills to his new home. Gloves, long-sleeves, behind the head? Slowly? Lol... I've never dealt with one of respectable size before.

I'm sorry I missed your question but it looks like you got several replies!! I personally just picked it up and carried it to the far end of our 6 acres. Having said that, I will say that he got a little heavy after walking that far and he really wanted down! So, after he released his own "lovely" smell that really made my hands stink to high heaven, I put the other two I caught into feed sacks to carry! Mid you, when they are 4 foot long, it is a bit trickier to get them in the feed sack and then close it up because he was already coming back out of the top!! LOL

That shows how big around he was!