Egg-Eating Snake

[happybooker1]

walked into the coop yesterday about 5:00 and there was a HUGE something snake in one of the nests trying to get down an egg. He’s about 4-5’ long and big around as my wrist.

He disengaged from the egg & quickly slithered up above the nest boxes & away.

I read they don’t like moth balls. Anything else work? Where it’s getting in/out i might be able to stuff with balled up chicken wire. I don’t really want to kill it if I could catch & relocate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might want to try to identify that snake. 4' to 5' long and that big around is kind of thick for a lot of snakes. I don't want to scare you too much but poisonous snakes tend to be a bit chunky. Non-poisonous snakes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and in the Houston climate it could be a pet that someone let go, but a bit of caution may be in order. Can you describe colors/patterns? That would be important if you do want to try to relocate it.

I don't know what the Texas laws are about relocating it, each state is different. Just so you know that could be an issue.

If you know where it is getting in and out you might try getting a minnow trap with small enough mesh wire and block its entrance outside with it. There is a pretty good chance the snake would trap itself trying to find a way in. Snakes tend to use the same routes.

You could try blocking that opening with chicken wire or something like that. Since it knows there are eggs in there it could look for another entryway though. It may just go in and out through the pop door.

I've captured black rat snakes and black racers in my coop, some about 5' long. They were usually after eggs though one got a baby chick. I keep leather gloves, a pillow case, and a snake catcher pole (It has an angle iron on it to hold the snake down so I could grab it). I've relocated some to a friends place when I can catch them. It's far enough away and I have her permission to do that so it works and is legal here. I've also killed some I could not catch for whatever reason. I like having non-poisonous snakes around as long as they are not in the coop. I can identify poisonous snakes that might be around here.

Snakes can show up any time, day or night. Yours was 5:00, I'd assume in the afternoon.

 

[happybooker1]

Texas only has 4 Varieties of venemous snakes: coral, water moccasin, rattlers (several types), and copperheads. It’s none of those nor black, so it’s also not a racer. But thanks for your concern.

I’m going to try the crumpled chicken wire approach first as I don’t believe the coop would ever be 100% sealed!

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

Do you have roisters? When a snake dares enter my coop they dispatch of him quickly....if the dogs dont get him first lol
Anywho...hope all turns out well