How dangerous are snakes?

[Hoosierchickens]

I would venture to guess that a 3 1/2' gopher snake would have a tough time with a standard chicken at 6 weeks old.

 

[SeaisforChicken]

Just a thought... you could line the outside of the run with something like cardboard or plastic sheeting a couple feet high and just remove it once the chicks were chickens and not so vulnerable to reptiles. Just make sure there are no gaps! Snakes are good at finding holes... we found so many snakes in our screen enclosure when I was a kid. I still don't know how they got in!

 

[Amore Galline]

Thanks, Hoosierchickens, that's what I was looking for. Looks like another month of keeping a close eye.

Well, SeaisforChicken, it's a lot of linear feet to cover in cardboard or plastic. We might do the bird net, but I guess we'll see if we want to go to even more expense. Otherwise, we might just keep watch on them when they're out until they are bigger.

 

[dacjohns]

I've lost chickens that were 6 weeks old to rat snakes. All the snakes where able to do was get the head and neck down and then regurgitate it back out. It was enough to kill the chickens. This happened during the night when they were on the roost. Snakes will also eat eggs and baby chicks.

 

[kemclaughlin]

Snakes won't normally go for anything larger than prey about 7 times the size of their heads. Normally. Like a previous poster said, they will try sometimes. I would keep a close eye on them and maybe drop a mouse or small rat in his hole once a week for a few months. Maybe if you keep him full he will stay away. This time of year they are hungry because they have been hibernating. Gopher snakes can get to about 6 feet long.

 

[Steergirl]

Snakes can only eat things that are 1 1/2 the size of their girth or smaller. I know cause I keep and breed snakes!

 

[weeders n feeders]

They may not be able to swallow a 6 week old chick but that doesn't mean they won't try. I've lost 10 week old ones before to snakes and a full grown batam. For the batam the snake had climbed an 8 foot chain link fence and came down on the chicken while she was on her roost. He couldn't swallow her but it killed her just the same. Snake came to the same ultimate fate.
I'd love to hear more suggestions on how to keep them out. Right now that's the only reason my chicks are still coming in at night. I can watch them during the day but not at night. I have plans to build a house with 1/4" hardware cloth but haven't gotten it done just yet. Chicks are stll only 3&4 weeks old and they really seem to like my routine of putting them out each morning. They will wait patiently until I make my coffee and allow me to drink about half of it then they start telling me it's time to go out.

 

[aggie9296]

We did lose a full grown bantam hen to a "chicken snake" who was about 8 feet long. Couldn't swallow it, but killed it nonetheless

 

[Amore Galline]

Wow, now I see they're never really safe

It appears snakes are more of a problem than coyotes, dogs, raccoons, hawks and owls - at least I can keep all those out with the wire. I'm not sure how to keep a snake out.
I know from owning a pet snake about the same size as the one I saw that they can easily scale a couple of feet (the bird netting would have to be higher). Guess we'll have to see what they have at LOWES.