Can this snake hurt chickens

[Rockergirl]

I wouldn't stress over the presence of snakes in your vicinity; they are a natural and native part of your environment. In addition to plentiful rat snakes, I have abundant copperheads too. Thankfully copperheads don't eat eggs and so are not a danger in nest boxes, but I have found them around broody pens trying to get to chicks. I am aware of a product called Snake Away, but have read quite a few comments on BYC that it doesn't work.

Okay. Thank you for the help! I let my ladies free range for a couple of hours a day and they do go to the edge of the woods and around my log piles. I had originally thought snakes don't go after chickens (adults) that the ladies could take care of themselves against snakes...but then after this instance, it caused a bit of stress and made me change my thought process. The nest box is very secure, snakes couldn't get to those

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The nest box is very secure, snakes couldn't get to those

I'm very curious about this. It seems to me that if a chicken can get to the nest box, a snake probably could too. I've had to ... er ... deal with a snake in one of my nest boxes, and he was full of eggs at the time. I would love it if you would tell me how to make my nest boxes secure from snakes, esp as I have a snake at this very moment living under my house, and it's only a matter of time before it goes after my eggs if it isn't already!

 

[Rockergirl]

I'm very curious about this. It seems to me that if a chicken can get to the nest box, a snake probably could too. I've had to ... er ... deal with a snake in one of my nest boxes, and he was full of eggs at the time. I would love it if you would tell me how to make my nest boxes secure from snakes, esp as I have a snake at this very moment living under my house, and it's only a matter of time before it goes after my eggs if it isn't already!

Our nest box is inside the coop and then the coop is attached to the "indoor/covered" run which is protected by hardwire (deep underground too). Attached is a pic. But it may look like a crack between the coop (blue shed on left) and the indoor run (in middle) but we have it sealed off totally except for a small pop door that connects the two. There are no cracks at all (very predator safe). However now I worry about the "outside" run, which is connected to the right...it is not protected (except for overhead) - I leave the pop door to that open during the day so they have more space.....so I guess, technically a snake could get in that way if they were crawling around during the day time.....I actually closed that door the other day when I saw that snake. So - if I keep the outdoor run closed while the ladies play around, there is no way for a snake to get to the nest box but if I keep it open like I have during day....that is a different story).

Note if you look to the far left side of the cop (blue shed on left) - you will see where we attached the nest box...we cut out an opening and put it there so it didn't take up too much coop space, if that makes sense...

Ignore the red house thing on the far right, that is their old coop when they were babies, it's just there to play on. this is basically our starter design...we just started raising chickens last summer. We are getting ready to enlarge everything and build a new bigger coop (instead of using a shed) and make the outdoor run on the right more secure (you can't see it, but there is overhead netting to protect from overhead attacks). I have 3 hens and 3 8 week old chicks. I don't plan on getting more than that. I do let the older ladies free range in the afternoon when I'm outside with them.

The snake you see in my original picture was sitting on top of that nest box with tip of it's tail through the window above it (hardwire). It later moved on top of a piece of lumber trim we had up top to seal things off, between the left coop and the middle indoor run....it was watching the baby chicks in the middle indoor run.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks for that detailed description. I'm not seeing all the details you're describing, but it does sounds as if you have it worked out pretty well. What did you decide to do about the snake?