My chickens are such......well.......chickens!

[RM44]

So I looked out the back door as I often do, just to eyeball the ladies during the day. I notice they're all standing in a single file row, across the run, chattering up a storm and staring down at the ground. About 2-3 feet away from the chicken line, a 2 & 1/2 foot long eastern king snake is slithering through the run! I thought chickens would kill snakes that weren't big enough to kill them? My girls where quite puzzled, but just stood in a line gawking and squawking at the snake as he passed through.

I, of course, couldn't just stand there. I grabbed a handy stick from the ground, chased him down and caught him for the kids to see when they got home from school. Once the hubs gets home to have a look, the snake will be released in the back yard in the woods somewhere.

I was thrilled to see this snake. I haven't seen an eastern king in years and was beginning to think the only snakes in my yard were copperheads! I've read a lot of folks finding snakes this year. I wonder if the weather has promoted an increase in large snakes in the area?

Pics to be uploades soon!

ETA - Pics!

Isn't it gorgeous!?!

 

[Swampwood]

Very funny

Now, I have that picture in my mind..lol

I'm glad you didn't kill it, there's too many peps that just kill any snake at first site.. Cudos

 

[RM44]

I absolutely LOVE snakes. I am having to talk my children down from all the begging and whining "can we keep it?!?!?!? can we keep it?!?!?!?!?". I explained that it's rather cruel to keep a wild animal after it's had the experience of living free. We have a rescued cornsnake that's 4 feet long, and those are also native, so it's hard also explaining why we can't let the cornsnake go (it's been a "kept" snake all it's life).

I was really surprised at how aggressive this king snake was though. When I ran it down it shook it's tail in the leaves and made the exact same noise as a rattlesnake. I'm sure it was doing it on purpose. And once I picked it up it continuously hissed and spit at me the entire time I held onto it. Once I dropped it into a spare aquarium it struck the glass, hard, several times. It is really ticked!

 

[sourland]

Beautiful snake- glad you did not kill it. Don't Eastern kingsnakes kill copperheads? Or is that just a myth?

 

[RM44]

That's what I read too. I actually read that the eastern kingsnake has some sort of semi-resistance specifically to pit vipers (which copperheads are classified as), and that their diet is rats and mice (which we have plenty of) and copperheads and rattlesnakes (which we also have). They eat rodents and other snakes.

Poor snake's time with us is almost up. We're now waiting for one more friend to come by to see it, and then off it goes. It's about 2.5 feet long (maybe closer to 3 feet), so I don't think it's a threat to my full grown chickens or even the eggs. I am sure looking forward to it threatening the copperheads though!

ETA - oh, by "off it goes", I mean back into the yard. Didn't want anyone to misunderstand this snake's ultimate destination. I just hope it will stay in my yard over the summer.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

IMO I would keep it in my yard if you still have copperheads and don't have chicks. They certainly can kill and eat coppers, not to mention they are stunning. I've also been seeing a lot of snake friendly people aroud the P & P forums...and that's a good thing.