Huge Black Snake came thru Metal Roof Ridge

[antiquebuff]

I opened the door this morning to feed my 3 month chicks and a huge black snake was just starting to slide into the coop through the tiny ridge in the tin. I almost lost it! I am deathly afraid of snakes. We had even lined the top of our new coops with hardware cloth and he found a tiny hole and came right in. I know some people say not to kill a black snake, but to me a good snake is a dead snake. I had to get a friend and it took us 45 min. trying to get the thing out of there. My poor babies were so scared! It would have had breakfast if I had been 2 minutes later. I have a codo type new coop divided into three sections and different chicks in each one. I want everyone to be careful of the ridges in the metal roofs and make sure you fill them with something and put wire in the roof of your coops or you could face what we did. I am 5'6" and the snake was longer that I am. He was as round as a coke bottle. I don't know how he ever squeezed in there!
Be Careful!

 

[ruby]

I'm glad you chickens are safe. No matter what, the site of a snake still gives me the heevey geeveys.... I'm lucky I have people that catch them for me..I don't catch 'em. But I will take them for a drive in their pickle bucket with tight top, and set them free 4 miles from my coop.

 

[momma's chickens]

Ugh, I don't like snakes, I know some of them are good, but not in my yard. I am sorry that you had this "wonderful" visitor today! :|

 

[brookwoodpat]

Were these four week old chicks or 12 week old chicks? I can't tell from your post. I ask because my 10 week old "chicks" (red stars and RIR) are pretty darn big and I thought big chickens were a match for even a black snake - that they went after baby chicks and eggs. Am I wrong?

 

[LynneP]

Yep, 12' is nothing to a rat snake and they're strong enough to pry layers apart and get through. They use their tails and underbelly claws to anchor as they navigate at the front. Great to control rodents and deadly in the coop. I see why you were upset. We get 5' garter snakes, the females are agressive and if inside would have to be relocated.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks for the "heads up".
I'll double check my roof area again.

 

[antiquebuff]

My chicks are Frizzle Cochins that the snake was after and they are on the small side, not large even at full grown. When I opened the door all 14 "flew the coop". He could not get to the top hats on one side and Sultans on the other due to the hardware cloth in the roof of the coop. The Cochins were in the middle.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I know it's disturbing to find it in your coop. At least you can remedy that. But on the upside, I notice you live in NC and black snakes and copperheads will not normally reside in the same area. When we lived in NC, I was always happy to see our 'resident' big fat old black snake. The whole 8 years we lived on that farm, only saw one copperhead.

 

[summerwindsfarm]

I lost all of the call duck eggs that my call duck was sitting on last night to a rat snake..grrrrrrrrrrr.

I normally dont bother rat snakes as long as they stay away from my chickens but a snake thats started eating chicks or eggs doesnt get relocated here.

He was curled up in a corner of the nest box with egg bumps in his belly for as long as it took to walk to the house and get the 22 pistol loaded with snake shot. One pop to the head and no more egg eating snake. That dude was at least 6' long and 3" across.

We used to have a rat snake that lived under our porch when we lived at another house. Hed come out on the sidewalk and sun himself. He was HUGE. As big around as my arm. I didnt have chickens up there and he didnt bother anything so he got to stay. But once they bother my chickens they are snake meat!

 

[chiknlittle]

I have a wonderful person that helps take care of spiders and snakes. He came with a lifetime contract and a pretty little ring to put on my left hand. He takes everything outside in one piece, and I don't have to worry about a thing. Until he goes to work. Antiquebuff, you handled this so much better than me! Where we live, there's a good chance that I'll see a snake near my chicks. And if that day comes, I'm going to need a new hen house because the old one will be filled with more holes than swiss cheese. I can't handle snakes, but I can handle a shotgun just fine.

Sorry, but it's a genetic deficiency I have, and I get it from my mom. She once saw a 12 inch long garter snake and smashed it with a shovel until it was as flat as the ground it was sitting on.