got my chicks today.. and now they are dead.. GRAPHIC PICTURES

[augiedranch]

i orderd my chicks from mcmurray hatchery in iowa. im in texas

i was so excited to get my JERSEY GIANTS home!! they were in perfect condition when i brought them home.. i waited two months for them!

i went to go check on them four hours later when i got home from work.. and saw a HUGE snake in the pen with it eating them..

i screamed and,, saw that the snake killed and ate my chicks! out of the origional twenty five chicks i was sopose to have 16.

in four hours... im down to seven...

that snake ate and ate and ate and probably would have eatin all sixteen of them!

well, any more suggestions for me? i have raised many of chicks in the brooder before... and its completely covered in chicken wire... nothing has ever happened before. the snake was over five foot tall and really really wide.. but somehow squeezed thru the chicken wire to eat my chicks..

oh, and to put the icing on the cake. he cracked 11 eggs and ate i dont know how many eggs, before he saw that the chicks were there...

im sooo sad.. i was SO excited about getting these chicks.. and then seeing them dead i just cried and cried..... its my fault.


sorry about the graphic pictures..
what can i do to get rid of other snakes?

 

[peeboo]

omgoodness! how horrid! a nightmare really. i'd just freak if that happened to me. i'm so sorry for your loss

i know how it is being a young chicken mother lol.
that is a HUGE snake. what kind is it if uknow?

 

[ChicknThief]

Are the wet chicks ones that were in his stomach, but that you thought you may be able to save? I am so sorry that you have lost your babies! I must say I was glad to see a "dead snake" pic and not just "dead chick" pics. I havn't a clue as to how to snake-proof your area. I have never had to deal with snakes trying to eat my pets. Heres to your babies.

 

[nccountrygirl]

I have heard to put mothballs around the coop. I so sorry about your babies, glad you got the snake. Ugh I hate snakes

 

[Matt A NC]

I am sorry you have to deal with this.

Most Snakes can easily get in through chicken wire, however they can't get out once they have fed.

Any brooder box I have outside has half inch hardware cloth over all sides, bottom, or vents. Some have 1/4". Anything larger than the 1/2" is risky for chicks.

Matt

 

[shmooborp]

snakes can squiez thru imposibly small spaces. just like how a 10 lbs octopus can fit into a small coke bottle.. they bend and shift. they are evil. you will need something with no holes in it. like plywood. cuz they can get tru chicken wire. also i am sooo sory about ur chicks. i am glad he didnt get all of them. but atleast hes dead now! peace be with them and u.

 

[augiedranch]

thanks guys. i cant believe i actually got it! i think it is a chicken snake. i got bit in the process and nothing happened! so i believe its whats called a chicken or rat snake.

i have moth balls down.. and a barn cat... ... hum... this snake problem is so awful! i just still cant believe it happend.. i am soo sad still. those poor babies


there are two that were never found. .. i cut the snake open (after it was dead of course) and found four babies in it. oh my gosh.. and one of them like.. i dont know if it was alive or if it just died or what,, but it was soo sad..

then the fluffy one was the one he was attempting to eat when i walked in there.

i have no idea where the other two are... another snake?


i honestly dont see what the reason was for it to sit there and eat that many chicks and to continue eating them until they were all gone, which i knew it would...

why cant he go eat some barn rats, or rabbits.. etc

 

[Buster]

I would be soooo angry! I like snakes but don't blame you at all for killing it. un

 

[Eggseronious]

Sorry for this loss and this the reason I kill every snake no matter what kind.

What these snakes do when they find a nest or baby chicks is they will over fill themselves with meal after meal then wont have to eat for a month. Since U cant find the others there might be another snake done filled up and gone for a few days weeks and then return. I know some might say dont kill these types of snakes, they keep down the rats and mice! Well I had rather have a good barn raised Calico cat.

 

[chick4chicks]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

That is terrible. I am so glad you got the evil thing just to bad it was after the fact. I am sending Prayers your way to help you heal. Please don't give up become the best chick Mom you can and that will be an Honor for the poor babies.