Copperhead Snakes

[Little Miss Chick]

Are copperheads poisonous if they bite chickens?

 

[La Mike]

Yes.

 

[hennyannie]

Oh yeah, I think it would take very little venom to kill a chicken, But I would think that the snake would be after eggs first.

 

[Kudzu]

Had a young copperhead bite my dog in the nose, I saw it happening. I killed the snake (stomped it) and took my dog to the Vet. The Vet gave her a shot and said to try to keep her inactive, which I did. My dog recovered fast, but she had a swollen nose and had to breathe in and out her mouth for a week.

 

[welasharon]

A tiny littel one bit my cat in the forehead. I grabbed the cat up and dosed her with benadryl..swell up so bad the hair fell off her face and it was bald! I would think it would be quite serious for a chicken.

 

[ranchhand]

Copperheads are venomous snakes. They are poisonous to whatever they bite. The good news is that they aren't as deadly as some others are. Just very painful.

I also had a dog bitten on the nose. As soon as I got him in I shoved Benadryl generic down his throat and emailed the vet the next day with a pitiful picture. He said continue the benadryl for several days and watch carefully for infection. Took a few weeks, but dog is fine now.

However, chickens are much smaller and have a faster metabolism. I honestly don't know what would happen, but I suspect it would kill the chicken pretty fast.
We have a lot of copperheads here, but I have never seen one in the chicken runs. They seem to prefer the drip from the hose spigot or the cool, damp shade in the groves of trees.

ETA- I do have a lot of rat snakes in the runs - the juvenile rat snakes look a lot like a copperhead- but a rat snake is good to have around! Check your state's Wildlife Dept. for pics and learn to identify them at a glance.