Snake in the Run?

ClareScifi

Crowing
14 Years
Mar 30, 2011
1,891
61
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Tonight I took some fresh-picked lettuce over to feed my chickens through their fence in the run, and none of them would come running to me, which I found odd, since they love their greens.

Finally, I enticed my best eater, Esther, over for several pieces but the others would not budge.

So I went to see what was up. The rooster was really talking to them, almost as if he were delivering a college lecture to students.
I thought maybe there was a delicious plant or tasty bugs he'd found for them. He is very observant and great at finding things.

But, no, it was a big long green-and-yellow snake, all curled up on the ground. They were fascinated by it. I think it's the first snake they've ever seen and they didn't quite no what to make of it. The snake was motionless, and I wondered whether they had pecked it to death, but they weren't getting terribly close to it, nor did they seem very afraid of it.

So I put the greens in their drinking water and called them into that part of the run. After some time, they came to eat it.

I went back to check on the snake, wondering whether I should attempt to kill him with a rock or something? Could a snake hurt chickens? I don't think he was poisonous, but I don't know? Could he get in the coop and eat their eggs? He was no bigger around than a small cigar or kitten's tail.

But he had vamoosed, nowhere to be seen was he. It gives me the creeps not knowing where he went. While I was looking for him, my cat snuck up behind me and rubbed my leg, scaring me.

I don't like to kill any creatures, but what do you think about this snake?

I'll bet he was ecstatic to get away with his life. Chickens have sharp beaks.

It was really interesting watching the chickens react to their first snake.
 
Well I've heard of chicken killing mice, so I don't think they would be too defenseless against a snake--especially one as small as you described. I don't think it would cause any kind of a problem either... Hopefully it won't come back again after that experience :)
 
Can you look it up for identification in a book or on the internet?

Most snakes are far to small to want to eat chickens. Some can eat eggs, but most snakes like to eat small rodents - actually helping keep down pets like mice and rats. Some eat frogs and fish too.

If it was the type to eat eggs, then that would not really be a problem as snakes have a really slow metabolism and it would only eat one or 2 in a month.

If it is a poisonous snakes, than that is a different matter as it can be a danger to you and your family if someone accidently steps on it or its hiding under something that you pick up.
 
A book is a good idea. I know it's not a rattler. I'll look up snakes of Utah. It probably came in on the water irrigation system Tuesday.
 
It says it can eat small birds. I hope it doesn't go after my Bantam! She is feisty, though, and would no doubt peck it to death.
 
This isn't the best picture of the snake, because it doesn't show the top, but this is a garter snake. We found it in the water meter when we wondered why our bills had been estimated for a few months, lol. Guess the guy didn't want to take the lid off anymore! Did yours look anything like this one? It does have the stripes on the top, too.


 
Thanks for the photo, LeslieB118. Your snake is quite a bit bigger than the one I saw. I think the one in my run may have been a baby garter snake. He was curled up, though, so hard to tell.
 
My neighbor suggested it might have been a bull snake. He says the only poisonous snakes we have here are Great Basin rattlesnakes.

His maternal grandfather was bitten in the back by a 7 foot long rattlesnake in Texas and got a whole lot of poison from it and died.
 

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