New Chicken Panic!!! Snake eating???

[jessierose]

I have only had my little ladies a week. It has been very fun until today. My first panic moment!

My girls found a tiny snake in the leaves. It was brown with a slightly darker brown head and very small....maybe 7 inches long. They instantly went to fighting over it and fought til it was dead. All the while, I am throwing shoes on so I can jump in and get it away from them. Just in case it's not a nice snake, you know?
Well, by the time I got my shoes on, it was almost completely down Ginger's throat. She kept working on it and swallowed him whole.
My question: is she going to be okay??? Is this normal??? Do they swallow other critters and live???

I have searched the house for my chicken book and can't find it!
Someone please tell me she is a-o-k and just enjoyed a very odd but not unhealthful snack.

 

[gmzamz]

if it wasn't poisonis, she should be fine, i think

they might have to add thet to the "treats chart"

 

[farmerlor]

Yep. You should see them go after mice!

 

[jessierose]

I know our venomous snakes pretty well...it didn't look like any of them from what I could see before the little oinkers devoured it!
So...they do swallow things like that whole sometimes and are ok? If the snake was just a little garden snake she will be fine?

 

[CTChickenMom]

That was a heck of a snack for a week old chick! Did she go and take a nap!?

 

[jessierose]

Oh no. She is not new to the world in the last week. She is only new to me. She is 11 weeks old and all feathered and lovely.
The funny thing is, the have acted like such little ladies so much, with their happy little sounds and their bottom shaking walks. Then, to see one swallow a snake the way I used to watch my grandpa drop whole sardines in his mouth was a bit surprising!

Sorry if I overreacted! I am just crazy about them already!

 

[Wifezilla]

Just remember your lovely ladies are descended from dinosaurs. That is a little feathered T-Rex walking around your yard. Little snakeez beware!!

 

[Biddieacres]

Hope she is OK. Keep us posted.

 

[sandypaws]

even if the snake WAS poisonous.. you can EAT the venom without ill effects (as long as you dont have a stomach ulcer)
she should be fine

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

estpr13 has pics of his hen killing and eating a snake on his BYC webpage. and a link in his siggy line.

He is quite proud of his girl for that

eta link ... https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=10570-starboard-and-the-snake


meri