Can snakes do harm to 15-week-old chickens?

[mulewagon]

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You shouldda been there when I found that humongous snake stretched out along the edge of my broody pen, full of my chicks

I swear, there was a period where I felt like I was raising snake food! Now I'm running a chicken Sing-Sing - bed checks twice a day for the broodies, the littlest chicks and mama in a cage every night, flashlight sweeps, snake traps and snake repellant (Ugh!) all over the place

 

[NewOldMotherHen]

Very upsetting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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How scared are you when you drive to the grocery? People die when they do that. Not every trip but some occasionally die. There are a lot of things that can cause death, but many of us go about our business and don't panic over it because toi really does not happen that often.

Just because there is a snake somewhere big enough to kill or even eat a grown chicken does not mean that each and every snake every where is killing grown chickens every day. I think if you really knew how often a snake kills or eats a 15 week old chicken, you'd quit worrying. A snake eating an egg will happen a lot more often, and they will occasionally get a small chick. But a grown chicken? Possible but hardly ever.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I wouldn't let muleboy scare me, like I said, black snakes wouldn't be interested in killing something they can't eat. I'd like to see the pics of the snake eating a chicken (must be alabama snakes are on steriods or something) Thats not to say a little bitty chick or a bird would be safe, contrary. All chickens are vunerable while sleeping - best time to catch them. We just have to do our best to provide a safe place
Just look your coop over carefully for small holes that a large snake could get in, Then plug it up...you know if snakes were a big problem wouldn't they call ratwire snakewire? I'd be thrilled to finally see a blacksnake, all I have are copperheads so far, and even they tend to avoid noise and well traveled places.
Personally I'm more scared to drive to the grocery, after you've seen what happens all the time, you should be more scared to drive on the roads -(hang out in a trauma center for one day) Besides being scared when you see a snake is hard wired into your brain, your pulse should pick up a bit, very normal response mother hen, your chicks felt it too, some day you may find your hens standing over a dead snake with one foot on it, the others taking pictures for the album

 

[RHRanch]

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Don't let folks freak you out, or you'll never sleep at night - trust me the night predators are a way bigger problem than snakes. Look, most snakes are attracted to coops becuse there are rodents around. No matter how tidy, sometimes rodents will be around your coop, and the snake senses this and is hunting them. true enough, sometimes people have birds eaten. Usually its small chicks. My advice? Don't freak out, shoo the snake out of the pen and plug up any holes it could have gotten in with spray insulation foam or if it got through wire, wrap it with some of that cool shadecloth they carry at Lowes.

 

[Chickadee55]

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I recently had a 4 ft. corn snake eat one of my 8 week old chickens. He was so fat, he couldn't get away.........I blew his head off. I couldn't take the chance that he would come back for more if I didn't do something drastic. I understand they are going to come around the barn; it's a normal place for them to feed. He just picked the wrong meal from the menu......

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

How big a chicken? And like the monkey with it's hand caught in the cookie jar,it couldn't get away with it. I guess I am just blessed not to have a problems with that, at least not yet, I guess that's why there's so many chicks in a clutch, you're bound to loose a few once in a while, and everyone's situation is different, I'm glad now I insisted on a plywood floor, rat wire over all vents etc...whatever gets in there will be houdini

 

[animals1981]

if u live in an area with snakes that have venom do not kill the indigo snake which is a huge black snake it cannot streach it jaws wide enough to eat a chicken so they eat rats and snakes (inlcuding snakes with venom) also racers and king snakes. Keep the ones around that eat other snakes if have venouse snakes around u. Rattle snakes eat rabbits and chickens.