Black snake in egg nest

[Annasg]

I'm just shaking like a leaf. I went out to gather the eggs and there was a huge black snake laying in the hens eggs nest. Of course, no eggs today. I did not disturb the snake. I went into the house to get my gun and when I came back, it was gone. I have been building onto my chicken coop and it had never actually settled in my mind that I might be sharing that space with a snake. Guess I am gonna have to make my gun and my camera a part of my work tools. Whew! What a morning! I need something to settle my nerves now. Not sure I can get back out there and get any work done or not.

 

[sandspoultry]

The snakes I can deal with, I reached into back/dark nest box on day and there was a 'possum in there. As soon as I felt the fur I knew there was no hen in there. That was a shocker

 

[Annasg]

I can't handle opossum either. I shoot every one that comes around here. Guess I'll be taking my gun everytime I go to gather eggs now.

 

[Chickery Chick]

Read this forum on snakes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/815542/can-anyone-id-this-baby-snake

 

[scooter147]

Sometimes the black snake will swallow a fake egg if it smells enough like a real egg, dead snake.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I've heard the snake swallowing a nest egg story all my life but I have yet to see it happen. At any rate every snake that I have ever came across on a continuing basis (like a pet) could spit up a green pine cone... backwards no less.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I have had 3 black snakes in my chicken run so far in the last 2 years. Pretty big ones too. My brother has found all 3 as he lets them out in the morning and shuts the run door every night. My question is this...has anyone ever found a snake trying to kill a full grown hen or mostly grown pullet? I have found 2 young hens dead, about 2 weeks apart, both were broody and were setting. One I found dead on the nest, the other I found on the ground just out of the nest. Both hens had plenty of access to food and water, and the heat wasn't bad at the time. I just wondered if a big black snake might have strangled them, then left when it couldn't swallow them.

 

[Rubbertoe]

After finding the first snake in our coop we put some golf balls in their nesting boxes. The second snake that came around sure enough ate one of the golf balls. That made it too big to escape the coop and I didn't let it live long enough to see if it would regurgitate it.

 

[Chickery Chick]

I am going to say YES OldChickenLady,
to your question of the black snakes killing the grown hens, especially by the nesting area.
I have read that the hens will try to ward off the snake from their egg(s) and even their baby chicks, so the snake then kills the hen so it can get rid of her so he can eat their babies or eggs. Depending on the type of snake, poisonous or strangling type they both get the job done. Any snake of any kind in your coup is in there for no other reason than to eat a chick, eat an egg, and kill whatever gets in its way. Also if you stick your hand in to gather eggs it will bite you. Read post #29. on thread below. Also confirmed snake will kill hens nesting so this does happen to them post #9 and post #18....much more too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/471171/will-black-snakes-harm-my-chickens-and-chicks

How to rid of black and rat snakes. Moth Balls are most effective.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04sep06a.cfm

and kill, kill, kill away. They travel 1/2 mile from their den so you can imagine how many there are. There like cockroaches. If you see one there are 100s more, so feel guilty that your killing off the last of its kind.

Make a choice, do you want a stupid snake to live or your chicken(s)?

 

[oldchickenlady]

We do kill them when we find them. My brother has killed 3 big black snakes and 2 copperheads. One black snake was coming out of the run when he walked by the run on his morning walk. Another he found in the coop. That one was found after my 2 hens were found dead. So I just wondered if the snake could be the culprit.