Is this a rat snake hanging around my chickens??

[aart]

Northwest Florida in the Panhandle. I’ve tried looking at the lists but so many look the same to me it’s sorta confusing.

That's a pretty big snake...hope someone can ID it for you.

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[sealer39]

That’s a Texas Rat Snake. They love to eat chicken eggs! Put a golf ball in each of your nest boxes. If they disappear, you’ll know he’s getting into your coop to steal eggs.

 

[Mtnboomer]

That's a pretty big snake...hope someone can ID it for you.

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View attachment 2178852

Pine snake would be my guess. They are one of the biggest snakes in north America. We've had some here reach nearly 8ft. Completely harmless.

 

[Tre3hugger]

That looks like an eastern milk snake. Hard to say for sure. Definitely a non-venomous member of the colubrid family(corn snakes, garder snakes, rat snakes, milksnakes, king snakes etc). Relatively harmless and beneficial for your property. Unlikely to take birds in a group while ranging.

 

[cmom]

That’s a Texas Rat Snake. They love to eat chicken eggs! Put a golf ball in each of your nest boxes. If they disappear, you’ll know he’s getting into your coop to steal eggs.

I agree. We have them here too. They haven't bothered my birds but could take a chick. In one coop I had one wrapped around a milk crate I was using as a nest box. I got it out and haven't seen it since.

This one was hanging around my chick coop. Now missing it's head.

 

[neo71665]

I put king snakes in the storage sheds but anything else gets removed. Copperheads and cottonmouths get buried. Rattlesnakes get put in cooking grease.

Just killed a 5 foot rat snake in my shop. Now if he was outside I might have just shooed it off but it removed all rights when it gets in my shop. I don't plan on being under a car changing the oil and rolling over looking at one eye to eye. Now I gotta figure out how the bloody thing got in.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Snakes are attracted to the coop for the rodents that unsecured chicken feed attract. Get rid of the rodents and the snakes will leave. Get a proper feeder.

 

[Sweetbasil]

Snakes are attracted to the coop for the rodents that unsecured chicken feed attract. Get rid of the rodents and the snakes will leave. Get a proper feeder.

I have Pvc pipe feeders.

 

[Al Gerhart]

That is not a proper feeder, they attract rats that attract the snakes and other predators.

 

[Sweetbasil]

That is not a proper feeder, they attract rats that attract the snakes and other predators.

What would be considered a proper feeder