Help! A Black Snake keeps eating my eggs!

[Ursuline Chick]

Splinter 002, really glad you grew up with them, and I mean that sincerely (sometimes its hard to understand tone in something typed). Black snakes in my neck of the woods are usually not safe to grab with your hands. And although I would handle the situation differently, I respect your right to do what you think is best for all concerned. Just glad nobody in my family (especially me) had pet possums cause they have had hens in their mouths in the middle of the night and I can't keep a rooster. It wasn't pleasant to have decide between my hen and a possum who had managed to find a large enough space in my hens roosting area in get in and try to walk off with one of my hens. I was shocked at how small a space they need. The roosting area is fully enclosed. But I truely hope you get your problem resolved in a way that you are happy with. A sincere good luck to you.

 

[Splinter022]

Splinter 002, really glad you grew up with them, and I mean that sincerely (sometimes its hard to understand tone in something typed). Black snakes in my neck of the woods are usually not safe to grab with your hands. And although I would handle the situation differently, I respect your right to do what you think is best for all concerned. Just glad nobody in my family (especially me) had pet possums cause they have had hens in their mouths in the middle of the night and I can't keep a rooster. It wasn't pleasant to have decide between my hen and a possum who had managed to find a large enough space in my hens roosting area in get in and try to walk off with one of my hens. I was shocked at how small a space they need. The roosting area is fully enclosed. But I truely hope you get your problem resolved in a way that you are happy with. A sincere good luck to you.

Thanks so much.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Glad we were able to come to an understanding. Glad we live in a country that allows us to handle things in the way we see as best for us and ours, hopefully without judgement. Hope you were able to capture your problem. If not, maybe someone could offer some humane ideas on how to capture the problem snake. I have monitored this site for years, mostly because of the diversity of people and ideas and am finally joining. Eleven or twelve years ago our area had a terrible problem with mice and rats, I re-homed snakes to our backyard to help get rid of the problem and it seemed to work. however I have not seen a snake in our urban yard in a number of years and have not had a snake problem with my chickens. I had my husband build a broody box with very tight mesh and a small yard for the broody mom when we were hatching eggs, back in the days when we had a rooster. the broody cage was next to the roosting area and coop. my hens free range the backyard during the day. The broody cage has come in handy when one of the girls needs to be isolated as well. Hope someone has a good idea on how to capture your snake. I would be interested in case I have the same problem, would rather snake proof than deal with rats. Since you have real expirence with snakes, I know who to contact should the problem arrise. That's why I am a member here, I don't have to fully agree with how others handle their problems, but I can still learn from everyone's ideas.

 

[Splinter022]

Glad we were able to come to an understanding. Glad we live in a country that allows us to handle things in the way we see as best for us and ours, hopefully without judgement. Hope you were able to capture your problem. If not, maybe someone could offer some humane ideas on how to capture the problem snake. I have monitored this site for years, mostly because of the diversity of people and ideas and am finally joining. Eleven or twelve years ago our area had a terrible problem with mice and rats, I re-homed snakes to our backyard to help get rid of the problem and it seemed to work. however I have not seen a snake in our urban yard in a number of years and have not had a snake problem with my chickens. I had my husband build a broody box with very tight mesh and a small yard for the broody mom when we were hatching eggs, back in the days when we had a rooster. the broody cage was next to the roosting area and coop. my hens free range the backyard during the day. The broody cage has come in handy when one of the girls needs to be isolated as well. Hope someone has a good idea on how to capture your snake. I would be interested in case I have the same problem, would rather snake proof than deal with rats. Since you have real expirence with snakes, I know who to contact should the problem arrise. That's why I am a member here, I don't have to fully agree with how others handle their problems, but I can still learn from everyone's ideas.

Thanks for understanding. we're about a week out and a snake has not Out and a snake has not come yet, so hopefully it'll stay like that for good.

Thanks for all the ideas and comments from everyone.

 

[Splinter022]

I finally have a hatched chick! Thanks guys for all the help! I really appreciate it! The snake has not been back yet, and I hope it stays that way. But here is a picture of our chick that just hatched. Unfortunately I lost one during the hatching process, but I guess that happens. Maybe the mom accidentally hit it, but he passed away before I found him. Anyways, thanks for all the help from everyone!

 

[Splinter022]

Well, a chicken knocked over the large box they were in which in fact was buried a couple inches in the sand, and the little guy got out. We were on vacation when this happened so we have no clue which day he got attacked. We got home yesterday, we think it was that day an hour by the most before we got home. He has blood over his head and eyes, but we think that's from a couple scrapes and wounds. Don't think it's anything major though. He can open his right eye a very little bit, but he can open his left eye a little more. He's not do ing bad or anything. He's drinking, cleaning his feathers, pooping, he's even walking around. (Even though he always has his eyes closed.) He's actually walking around as I type this. He hasn't eaten yet, but he was pretty dehydrated when we found him. It's always very important to get the animal completely hydrated before it tries to eat. Here are some pictures. They all look different colors because I had to change them. If I didn't the whole pic would be red-ish.

 

[centrarchid]

That was done by another chicken.

 

[Splinter022]

That was done by another chicken.

I know. It's kinda sad actually. I'm watching him now. He's peeping and cleaning his feathers. The momma that hatched him was trying to protect him when we found him, but other chickens were chasing her. The chick made it through his first night, and he's doing really good!

 

[User444456543]

Ditto about the snake not being harmless just because it's not poisonous, it's still eating your soon to hatch eggs.

I bought 7 day old chicks and had a broody raising them, they started disappearing and I wasn't stumped. By the time I figured out it must be a snake I was mostly finished "snake proofing" my coop.

I finally caught him when I saw him sitting next to the run with the lumps of his two latest victims still in his belly. I was down to two chicks by then and got angry enough to decide I'd had enough of feeding the snake.

Now my coop has the rafter openings closed off with 1/4" hardware cloth, a 1/2" hardware cloth covered brooder for chicks and broody, and deer netting draped around the perimeter that I plan to hang on the 2x4 welded wire run once the yard is cleared by the big chickens. I have the trail camera set up and watching for evening activity until I can get the electric fence working again.

And I'm still on guard because snakes can get through very tiny holes and they aren't afraid to try and eat big things.

I think you mean by it not being venomous* LOL. It sounds like it could be a black racer or rat snake, water snakes will not being eating your chicken eggs, they will be staying by...water. Those two snakes are very helpful with mice/rats and venomous snakes in the area. Your best bet is to relocate, there is really 0 benefit for killing such a snake, as they pose no threat to you, and only to your unprotected eggs.