Copperhead

[The Phantom]

 

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

Yes, extremely! We have copperheads and rattlesnake around but we also have big black snakes that are not venemous and will eat the other two. We don't kill those.

Thanks, that's what I assumed. We have rattlesnakes here but they don't get big and aren't as common in most neighborhoods. Good luck!

 

[Tesumph]

Yes, extremely! We have copperheads and rattlesnake around but we also have big black snakes that are not venemous and will eat the other two. We don't kill those.

Rat snakes, right? I love those guys. We get all four of the venomous snakes in the US here (rattle, copperhead, cottonmouth, coral). We kill the venemous ones (except coral snakes, they’re too gentle and shy) because we have kids and dogs on the property. But the rat snakes we keep for rodent control, but have to relocate them because they’ll eat eggs.

Edit, you might’ve meant kingsnakes. They’re cool too.

 

[Thespeckledchick]

We sometimes use mothballs to deter snakes, and even though it probably isn't as affective as other options, I would give it a shot. Good luck!

 

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

I think that using snakes as rodent control is a big misconception; they only eat once a week while growing, and probably less once they start to reach full size. I don't want to sound like I'm encouraging killing more snakes since I think they are awesome and wouldn't kill any of them were I not worried about my kid and dog encountering a rattler. I'd think the chickens would be better for rodent control than even a yard full of snakes.

 

[Tesumph]

I think that using snakes as rodent control is a big misconception; they only eat once a week while growing, and probably less once they start to reach full size. I don't want to sound like I'm encouraging killing more snakes since I think they are awesome and wouldn't kill any of them were I not worried about my kid and dog encountering a rattler. I'd think the chickens would be better for rodent control than even a yard full of snakes.

Oh I totally agree. I’ve owned a lot of reptiles so I get it. Rat snakes particularly though, I’ve found keeping them around keeps the mice down. Whether that’s them eating them or mice just don’t like 5-6 ft snakes in their homes I don’t know haha. They’re gentle though so I don’t like killing them anyway. For some reason my chickens never ate mice, even when they lived under an old cabinet in their coop. I wish they had.

 

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

I was really excited to have a flock full of brutal killers, but my pullets and Cockerel will hardly even eat a worm, so I've lowered my expectations. My Pekins will eat anything, but don't trust me enough to get close when I flip over rocks and stumps.

 

[RWise]

I grew up playing with snakes, yes with rattles, copperheads, cotton mouths (and a slew of non poisonous snakes). My little brother came home one fine day with an albino rat snake in his pocket, Mom called the zoo and they gladly took it. It was on display for a long time and went to another zoo for breading. I myself do not kill any snake unless I find it in or close to my coop.

 

[FeatherstoneFrm]

I myself do not kill any snake unless I find it in or close to my coop.

Unfortunately this one was right outside my run, looking at my chickens ( and me). I don't bother the non poisonous snakes but I don't want the poisonous ones near my kids or pets.

 

[Unobtanium]

I grew up playing with snakes, yes with rattles, copperheads, cotton mouths (and a slew of non poisonous snakes). My little brother came home one fine day with an albino rat snake in his pocket, Mom called the zoo and they gladly took it. It was on display for a long time and went to another zoo for breading. I myself do not kill any snake unless I find it in or close to my coop.

We are opposites, excepting that we grew up with snakes. I kill every poisonous one I see. Reason being that in a perfect world, the snake does not attack randomly, and I recognize it and avoid/respect it. In the real world though, sometimes I just don't see the snake, and it simply does as it do. The one copperhead bite I dealt with in the ER resulted in the patient having swelling of the hand, and severe pain. We managed it with dilaudid and NS IV. The main potential issue is cardiac arrhythmia and coagulation profile alteration. Neither occurred, and the patient was discharged from the ER to home after some time (8 hours or so). Different snake venom does different things. This, the patient did to themselves, playing with the copperhead. Still, it's likely a $4-10K bill without insurance. If you do get antivenom (which can have nasty side effects and most providers will only give it if you are showing symptoms via lab profile or physically that mandate it), your bill will be 10x that, roughly, or more.


That stated, will chickens kill a copperhead in the daytime, or not? I know they are vicious at times, just wondered?