Black snake killed 3 of my 6 week old chicks.

[Jamesthesilkie]

Ditto on the rodent control. Wild predators like snakes and raptors have limits on their numbers from the amount of prey species their territory will maintain during dry spells, winter, and other natural factors. They get out of control, as do wild birds and rodents, when humans set up buffets for them. The prey species the predators feed on have to hustle hard to survive much less raise young as natural foods are scarce and they have to fight to maintain their territory/food supply.

Control the feed, and you control a lot of problems that come with raising chickens.

Amen, my feed is stored in a metal bin and picked up at dusk each night to minimize rodents. Also have a few feral cats on the property that assist

 

[glonac]

I have a pet bullsnake, and we keep quail. When we had a neighbor's kid do some bird-sitting, she let the snake escape (this was somewhat our fault - the snake's enclosure had a weird locking mechanism that she didn't really understand and she had permission to play with the snake) and he killed and attempted to eat one of the quail we had been nursing back to health. He ended up regurgitating the quail because he just wasn't able to swallow past the shoulders - this is a 5-6 ft long snake, btw. We were pretty devastated because the quail he had killed had been a bit of a survivor...and also because we weren't sure if we had also lost the snake (we did find him a couple of weeks later). It's not exactly the same situation, but I'm sorry that you've lost chicks :c

I'd recommend elevating your brooders if you can. Snakes are surprisingly good climbers, but they're not magic and they have trouble climbing smooth surfaces. I think certain smells can be deterrents as well? A quick search found this page, which links to an old study: https://pestpointers.com/smells-that-snakes-hate-and-how-to-use-them/#The 2 Scents That Snakes Hate

Put “ snake away” around chicken coop and get some golf ball and put him around outside and some inside. I found a 52 “ eggs eater. He told me he was sick u right u ate 3- golf ball then he lost his life for being in coop

 

[Barnette]

Was this a black rat snake? Very surprising. I get black rat snakes in my coop all the time, but they are just after the eggs.

 

[Jamesthesilkie]

Was this a black rat snake? Very surprising. I get black rat snakes in my coop all the time, but they are just after the eggs.

Yes it was

 

[Barnette]

Yes it was

Okay. I'm sorry for your loss

 

[Logar]

Did you see the snake eating the chicks?

 

[Jamesthesilkie]

Did you see the snake eating the chicks?

Yes, on camera and when I opened the coop it was wrapped around one of them

 

[McChooky]

Did you see the snake eating the chicks?

Rat snakes are constrictors.They squeeze them to death

 

[Barnette]

Rat snakes are constrictors.They squeeze them to death

Eeeep

 

[McChooky]

I've got a 6 footer on my property I've sprayed with a water hose and thrown water on twice to get rid of and he hasn't left yet.I have zero tolerance for a big snake hanging around especially a constrictor