Pesky snakes

[Manuelandthegirls]

Last summer I had several snakes visiting the nest boxes and attempting to swallow eggs (well actually one swallowed a golf ball). We chased them all away, but I have a hen now that has just started setting and I am wondering if a snake would actually try to enter the nest while she is on it, trying to get the eggs. If they do, would the hen try to fight it off, hold her ground, or run like crazy out of the henhouse?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had a 3 foot black snake enter the coop last summer when a broody was on some eggs. This was during the middle of the afternoon. The snake sort of wrapped around her while she was sitting there. She did not move. He was not really threatening the hen but was going after her eggs. I ran the snake off but could not catch it.

That night 4 of her six eggs disappeared. Three nights later, her other 2 eggs disappeared. The snake left the plastic eggs behind.

It was creepy seeing the snake in the nest with the hen.

Mine eat small snakes, but this hen just sat there when the large snake came after her eggs.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

A snake can sneak in and eat the eggs/chicks right beneath the hen, especially if she is setting where it is secluded and dark. I killed a chicken snake that was in the Silkie coop this past Saturday and it was about 5 feet long.

 

[starryhen]

Poo. I really value the snakes. They eat the crickets, rodents and scare off the pesky birds. Usually they are rat/chicken snakes but our latest visitor is a black snake - probably a Texas indigo. I was hoping the black snake would not eat eggs. I see above that they do. Sigh. I don't mind an egg or two but they just have to become gluttons and I just catch em and take out away from our place to a more deserted area. Then I have to wait and endure the bird poop, hordes of crickets, and mice until another, smaller one shows up. Then the cycle starts all over again.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Yup, I agree that a snake has its' place, it just so happens that it's place is not in my Silkie coop!

 

[ranchhand]

We have LOTS of yellow rat snakes every year- the greedy ones get caught and relocated. But in 7 years here, we have never had a rodent problem! I had a broody on the ground once, the snake took all her eggs right from under her. All my birds ignore the snakes, I wish they'd peck them!

This is the uncropped version of my avatar- Goldie ignored the snake every time, other than to step over it.

And she's my most ferocious broody!

 

[flowergirl60]

Quote:
Creepy, I don't know what would be worse. A rat or that snake.