Pygmy Rattlesnake

[abbey]

I am new to chickens, so this might be a stupid question, but I couldn't find the answer anywhere. Today my chickens caught and killed a pygmy rattlesnake. I couldn't get the snake away from the chickens before they ate the snake. Will this hurt them? What should I do?

 

[Chirpy]

Hi and Welcome to BYC!

My understanding is that your chickens will be just fine. Animals can eat poisonous snakes and spiders and not have any harmful effects but, if they were to get bitten before eating it.... that's when you have a problem.

Our kitten ate a Black Widow spider a few weeks ago. We went on-line because we, too, were very concerned about it. It said that almost all cats that get bitten from Black Widows will die. She didn't get bitten before killing the spider and she is just fine after eating it. Boy were we worried for the next 24 hours.

If someone has had a different experience or info I'm hoping they'll post here to let you know.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
I once had a Standard Buff Cochin that grabbed a mouse out of my hand and swallowed it whole.

I now understand that some chickens are good mousers. This never hurt him and from then on, he was very interested in the mice I was raising for my hawk.

Chickens probably eat a lot of small lizards, snakes, and frogs when they are outside and we probably never see it. After all, they are omnivores.

 

[sandypaws]

as long as they dont get bitten they will be OK.. you/they can actually drink the venom your stomach acids will break it down, venom is just a protien(only if you dont have a bleeding ulcer)
the last few days my hunny put water down a couple of mouse holes,, the mice run out.. and then the dogs get them.. well latly if the mice run the other way into the chicken pens.. the OEG chickens have been chasing, killing eating these mice.... these OEGs are just tripping me out more and more...


my question.... what is a snake doing outside in DECEMBER???
even here in the desert all the snakes are burmating (aka sleeping)

 

[sandypaws]

snakes above ground in the winter time?????

we are about to have a HUGE earthquake??? where do you live???

 

[amazondoc]

Yumyumyum.

Of course, I suppose the scales might get stuck between their teeth. Ya got some toothpicks?

 

[WriterofWords]

Venom kills you by entering your bloodstream and damaging your heart and internal organs.

 

[Teach97]

poor little snake...it just wanted a friend

...I miss my rattlesnake...no really...my wife even talked to it but figured it was not the kind of pet you needed with little guys in the house...I just need to get a better place with a lock!

 

[sandypaws]

jeezzzzz.. there are so many NICE breeds/kinds of snakes out there that WHY WHY WHY would you want to bring a rattlesnake in your house????

not all venom kills that way.. depends on WHAT kind of venom

 

[Teach97]

Cuz I already got some of the others and thought...hey I don't have one of them! And they are free! Kinda how I got married...