Possible snake

[Kayenichol]

I just walked out to my shed and noticed 9 of my chicks missing. I searched around and found them in my yard dead. No puncture wounds but they were wet and looked squashed (intestines out rear end, stuff out the mouth). Could it be a snake and maybe regurgitated them all?

 

[Fishkeeper]

Snakes don't squish their prey like that. They smother it, or swallow it alive, they don't actually crush the body like you read about in old books. The worst damage you'll see, aside from the prey being dead, is a few cracked ribs.
I'm not sure what would have done that. Is there any chance it was a human? Because everything I can think of that's big enough to squish a chick (dogs, etc) would probably have poked holes in them with its teeth.
I'm sorry about your chicks, that sounds awful.

 

[Kayenichol]

Snakes don't squish their prey like that. They smother it, or swallow it alive, they don't actually crush the body like you read about in old books. The worst damage you'll see, aside from the prey being dead, is a few cracked ribs.
I'm not sure what would have done that. Is there any chance it was a human? Because everything I can think of that's big enough to squish a chick (dogs, etc) would probably have poked holes in them with its teeth.
I'm sorry about your chicks, that sounds awful.

Well we weren’t thinking that they were constricted but is it possible that they were squished either going down a snake ur being regurgitated? I don’t have much knowledge on snakes. But my shed is very close to a ditch that is home to quite a few snakes. We dont think it was human considering only 9 chicks were missing and nothing else. We have a lot of pricey stuff in that shed. Doesn’t make sense. It’s sad because we just hatched them from our flock of chickens that we just lost to a stray dog and that flock started this entire thing

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

This is a mouse regurgitated by a snake. Notice the contours of the small animal? Did the chicks look like this or stretched out?

Did you find the bodies in one area?
Snakes regurgitate their food in the wild when they are startled by a perceived predator. They empty out their stomach contents so they can escape faster. If it was a snake they bodies would be very close to one another.

 

[Kayenichol]

This is a mouse regurgitated by a snake. Notice the contours of the small animal? Did the chicks look like this or stretched out?

View attachment 1716855

Did you find the bodies in one area?
Snakes regurgitate their food in the wild when they are startled by a perceived predator. They empty out their stomach contents so they can escape faster. If it was a snake they bodies would be very close to one another.

No their bodies were more stretched out. Their little legs behind them and they weren’t all together in a pile but pretty close. All nine were just a step or two part from each other

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

No their bodies were more stretched out. Their little legs behind them and they weren’t all together in a pile but pretty close. All nine were just a step or two part from each other

Any way a snake could have gotten into your shed? And where are you located? Snake species vary from biome to biome.

 

[Kayenichol]

Any way a snake could have gotten into your shed? And where are you located? Snake species vary from biome to biome.

Yes our shed was open. Brand new metal shed though if shut ( rolling garage door) I’m sure a smaller snake could possibly get through the little ridge holes from the tin. Those chicks were in a plastic bin (some still there) the others in dog kennels and the reason it was open was so my bunnies didn’t suffocate in the heat. We’re in south Louisiana so snakes here are plentiful and diverse. Should have taken the bunnies out but was afraid they’d get attention from stray dogs ( in process of building a hutch)

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Yes our shed was open. Brand new metal shed though if shut ( rolling garage door) I’m sure a smaller snake could possibly get through the little ridge holes from the tin. Those chicks were in a plastic bin (some still there) the others in dog kennels and the reason it was open was so my bunnies didn’t suffocate in the heat. We’re in south Louisiana so snakes here are plentiful and diverse. Should have taken the bunnies out but was afraid they’d get attention from stray dogs ( in process of building a hutch)

Oh yeah loads of snake species. I suspect a non-venomous snake ate these chicks and escaped into the yard where something startled it enough for it to expel the contents of its stomach to get away. The pressure of regulation can cause prolapse of the internal organs if the snake was large.

 

[Kayenichol]

Oh yeah loads of snake species. I suspect a non-venomous snake ate these chicks and escaped into the yard where something startled it enough for it to expel the contents of its stomach to get away. The pressure of regulation can cause prolapse of the internal organs if the snake was large.

We knew snakes would be a problem but never had them in our shed before. We thought they’d go for our coop and figured our full growns would either kill them or scare them away.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

We knew snakes would be a problem but never had them in our shed before. We thought they’d go for our coop and figured our full growns would either kill them or scare them away.

They usually shy away from things that they know they can’t consume. Some won’t shy away from eggs though. Snakes are always a nice predator to have around though as they are natural pest control. I let the black racers and garter snakes stay around my property. Venomous snakes are another story and I usually call a wrangler for them.