Hen Battling a Black Rat Snake

[centrarchid]

I heard a major commotion in garage. No chicken sounds at first. It took a minute or so to get out. By that time game hen was exhausted and fell off ledge and not able to get back up. She was battling a roughly 5-feet long Black Rat Snake. Daughter was really interested in what was happening, so we took a closer look. Snake was ingesting an egg. Then I provided a ladder so hen could get back into fight without having to fly back up. She saw benefit provided and went back up and engaged snake again and repelled it. It came back again for another round and that time it gave up. Hen produced a sound I never heard before as snake retreated. She was exceptionally quite during this event otherwise.

Link to video.
https://www.facebook.com/1000026321...O1RfDYHGUJJtCm7NoL6-Odv0RBn4Ib3g&__tn__=*bH-R

 

[Perris]

that's amazing! what breed is she?

 

[Isadora]

Good job, Mama!

 

[centrarchid]

that's amazing! what breed is she?

Mostly Shuffler stock with some KC Toppy for color. Fighting chicken.

 

[sdm111]

I heard a major commotion in garage. No chicken sounds at first. It took a minute or so to get out. By that time game hen was exhausted and fell off ledge and not able to get back up. She was battling a roughly 5-feet long Black Rat Snake. Daughter was really interested in what was happening, so we took a closer look. Snake was ingesting an egg. Then I provided a ladder so hen could get back into fight without having to fly back up. She saw benefit provided and went back up and engaged snake again and repelled it. It came back again for another round and that time it gave up. Hen produced a sound I never heard before as snake retreated. She was exceptionally quite during this event otherwise.
View attachment 3129830

Link to video.
https://www.facebook.com/1000026321...O1RfDYHGUJJtCm7NoL6-Odv0RBn4Ib3g&__tn__=*bH-R


View attachment 3129828

Boy I'll tell ya. Can't beat I nice old school zebco reel

 

[centrarchid]

Hen has gone back to sitting on what is basically a very stinky omelet. Clutch will be disposed of and hen reconditioned. Another hen is incubating lower on another cabinet. Her eggs should be good. Hopefully rooster will help her if she needs it. Rooster did not help this hen, he actually attached her.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

wow that's wild! that was a beautiful snake too. glad your mama deterred him from returning for another snack

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

Those snakes are nothing but trouble, any good they do by eating rodents is easily negated by them eating eggs, chicks, and big snakes can kill mature hens. While they aren’t big enough to digest a larger bird, they will still kill them and try. Had this scenario been at night in the dark the snake may have got the hen.

 

[McChooky]

My Basset hound become deathly ill after getting snake bit in the neck by a big rat snake.

 

[McChooky]

Those snakes are nothing but trouble, any good they do by eating rodents is easily negated by them eating eggs, chicks, and big snakes can kill mature hens. While they aren’t big enough to digest a larger bird, they will still kill them and try. Had this scenario been at night in the dark the snake may have got the hen.

The eastern rat snakes are constrictors.They can kill a hen by suffocating them once they wrap around them in a nest box.