snake just ate my chicken

[mawmaw11]

i am so with you!

 

[Anatopism]

I've been told by our landlords that the house we are at has had rodent problems in the past, so I would be thrilled to have some sort of snake species in my area. The only ones that ever really show up are small garter snakes and there is the possibility of rubber boas in this area.. but a rubber boa would be laughable to a chicken.

Also, just because I'm one of those annoying people that has to mention my pet peeves... there are no "poisonous" snakes, only venomous and non-venomous ones. I understand it makes no difference and to someone who isn't into reptiles/insects/shrews/whatever probably doesn't care one way or the other, but thought I'd point it out in case somebody wanted to know.

Poisonous typically refers to it being dangerous if ingested (think poison dart frogs, cane toads) or touched (blister beetle).

Venomous refers to a toxin being injected/delivered, as in being stung by a scorpion, or bit by a rattlesnake.

In any case, if my animals were exposed to any threat, whether venomous or not, I'd try to safely relocate them a distance that is reasonable to expect they may not show up again... fortunately, I'm in an area where this is unlikely to ever be an issue. Unfortunately, I may have to fight a rodent problem due to there being a lack of predators in my area to take care of them.

 

[prettychicks]

I used alot of rabbit wire "hardware cloth" for my hen house and brooder box. We have alot of snake issues and I get tired of loosing my babies to them. I try to kill them too if I get the chance. I have noticed many times where the black snakes travel in pairs. I have caught two in my hen house several times before going to smaller wire. They have eaten nearly hatched chicks and even guineas that were 4 months old, however they spit them out after suffocating them. In my opinion, until the chicks are grown, you have to keep them in the smaller type wire and caulk any small holes elsewhere.

 

[Sprinkles212]

Anatopism, sorry, I stand corrected. The highly venomous snakes I grew up avoiding are green mambas, black mambas, puff adders, ect. I know absolutely nothing about Louisiana's snakes other than what the locals tell us. What we have seen here are quite passive and while I am sure they are probably not poisonous...oh, wait...I mean venomous, they all end up in snake heaven.

 

[Phyrst]

Anatopism, sorry, I stand corrected. The highly venomous snakes I grew up avoiding are green mambas, black mambas, puff adders, ect. I know absolutely nothing about Louisiana's snakes other than what the locals tell us. What we have seen here are quite passive and while I am sure they are probably not poisonous...oh, wait...I mean venomous, they all end up in snake heaven.

Sprinkles212, we don't have snakes like mambas but if you live in LA there are at least 2 venomous snakes that could be around you. Have the locals told you about the venomous "cotton-mouth" water moccasins? They do live around water but people find them in all sorts of strange places like garages, raised flower beds, chicken coops, etc. I think they are one of the most scariest!! We found one wrapped around the deck of our rider lawn mower one morning. They do look like plain, nonvenomous water snakes but have a very aggressive nature. That's why so many people kill any snake they see, I suppose instinct or something kicks in and they don't know the difference between the venomous and the non-venomous. You also may have rattle snakes and maybe even coral snakes there. However I would suggest leaving black snakes alone as they are non-venomous and eat varmits! If you have chickens you will have mice and/or rats and you'll need black snakes. Our green snakes are not dangerous either! Just my 2 cents. Hope you find living in the US a good thing!

 

[Anatopism]

Anatopism, sorry, I stand corrected. The highly venomous snakes I grew up avoiding are green mambas, black mambas, puff adders, ect. I know absolutely nothing about Louisiana's snakes other than what the locals tell us. What we have seen here are quite passive and while I am sure they are probably not poisonous...oh, wait...I mean venomous, they all end up in snake heaven.

I don't mean to come off offensively or rub anybody the wrong way, just something I had to get out. Lol. Unless it is a protected species being destroyed, I respect everybody's right to protect their livestock and their family... if that means killing a snake rather than leaving it be or relocating due to lack of knowledge on how to correctly identify safe/dangerous species, I can understand the reasoning. Just not my cup of tea to kill another animal indiscriminately.

 

[Sprinkles212]

I wasn't offended at all. You are totally fine, I was playing around. I have heard of the cotton mouths and our 80 year old, sweet-as-pie neighbor told us the black ones are probably fine. The kind we have seen so far have been passive toward us, although I have no doubt that others could be agressive. I have 3 very small children and due to my husbands occupation he is gone quite a bit throughout the year and often months at a time. I do not have the time to relocate a snake miles away.

Did you know that a male snake will travel for many miles to look for a mate? If I relocated him, there's no garauntee that he will not return. It's unfortunate for the snake, but I kill as soon as I spot them. Even if I knew it was non venomous, I would still kill it. From what I know about snakes, some eat others. So to me a non venomous snake may attract a venomous one. I do not want my children bit by a snake, venomous or not.

Phyrst, I am 100% all American. . Born here, spent many years elsewhere and have been back here for the past decade. Although nothing is perfect, the United States is the greatest country in the world and I am proud to be an American.

Alright, I've hijacked the thread.

 

[Phyrst]

Phyrst, I am 100% all American.

. Born here, spent many years elsewhere and have been back here for the past decade. Although nothing is perfect, the United States is the greatest country in the world and I am proud to be an American.
Alright, I've hijacked the thread.

Ditto!

 

[WildWorks]

Update....never expected such a turnout this summer....but I have killed 15 chicken snakes in 2 months...tired of seeing them!!!

 

[Phyrst]

Update....never expected such a turnout this summer....but I have killed 15 chicken snakes in 2 months...tired of seeing them!!!

Do you think you've seen so many due to the heat (perhaps hunting for water) or just that many more snakes out there?