I live in North Texas and am fighting with a snake problem myself. Early this month, I bought 15 pullets, and had them set up in a brooder in my carport/garage. I used this last year with no problems and expected none this year, although I am well aware of both snakes and rats. In fact, I welcomed the snakes to help with the rats from the neighboring fields. Inside of 2 weeks, I went from 15 chicks to 7. I came out to find a snake in my brooder, one chick dead, another wrapped in the snakes coil. I had nothing at hand, so grabbed a small branch had set aside for the chicks to use. I chased the snake out, but in the meantime, the one he'd been coiled around had died. I was on my way to work, and foolishly thought the snake would not be back anytime soon. went to work, but came home early, within 3 hours, with plans to "snake proof" the brooder. I got home to find a snake in the pen again, and only 7 chicks left. I was infuriated with myself, and proceded to pluck that rat snake from the area, using this same stick. I did not/do not want to kill snakes if I don't need to, and as I had nothing at hand to do so, I was satisfied to just chase/toss him across the property. I then spent the day securing the pen, lamenting my losses.
That evening, there he was again, perched atop, trying to find a way in. This time, I decided to haul him off. I grabbed him as he tried to leave and dropped him into a plastic bin and hauled him up the road a mile or so, hoping that would do. Two days later, before going to bed, I went to check on my girls, and there he was again! Still perched on top, soaking up the warmth, I assume, waiting for a chance to eat again. I plucked him up again, and dropped him back into the box, thinking I'd go to the next county. It was raining, so I put a huge bag of dogfood atop the crate he was in and went back to bed. I went out later, and spotted a black snake on the floor, beyond the chicks' brooder. I checked, and found I still had my captive snake. That's when I realized this was probably not the 1st snake I'd hauled off, but a 2nd and now a 3rd was in the wings. I was confident they could not get to the chicks and went back to bed. Later, I got up again, to check, hoping to capture the errant snake,and, sure enough, I did see a snake as it exited the door, but this was clearly another snake, possibly a bull snake, larger and lighter in color. I was dumbfounded. The dinner bell was out, and it was chicken on the menu.
The next morning, I escorted the 2nd snake off the property, and up the road, but resigned myself that I was over-run with snakes, and that was that. My only recourse is to be defensive. I am building a snake-tight area for this girls outside where they can grow large enough to be safe. These snakes are all a minimum of 6', and appear to be rat snakes, with a possible exception of that last one. I still do not want to kill them. I had 2 very bold rats in my chicken yard just a few weeks ago, that were coming out while I was there, to eat the corn from the ground. I have not seen them in 2 weeks. I'm sure the snakes are responsible, so I will not begrudge them being what they are. However, I did not expect this flood of them this year. In fact, since last weekend, I've seen only one, in the chicken yard. No more in the garage, hanging around the brooder. Guess word is out, the door is closed, and lights are out.
And, yes, they will eat eggs. But my hens are all Light Brahmas, large enough to be safe from the snakes. I can live with the snakes as long as I take full responsiblilty to see that I do so defensively. I do not advocate killing snakes, unless they be poisonous, and even then only if you have reason to fear for family and/or pets. Without them, the rats would take over, and they can do a whole lot more damage.
