Snakes in hen house

[Martih]

I have only 11 hens. Some are young and will not start laying for a couple months. I have a mixed flock. I am a widow and used to have horses. I couldn't stand to see an empty barn so I had a chicken pen made out of one stall. I let the chickens run free in daytime as I have good horse fence on 2 acres. I shut the chickens up at dusk after they go to roost. Tonight I saw a 6 ft. black snake with yellow belly wrapping around the roost and the hens had scattered except one who stood her ground. The snake slithered down and under the feed room so I cam back to the house and got a BB gun and went back out. The snake was wrapped around the roost again and I hit him with the gun and shot him with a BB. He went away, but I am afraid for my chickens. I live in central Arkansas. I don't know if the snake will kill my chickens or not. Can anyone tell me what a black as night snake with bright yellow belly is and will he squeeze a chicken or is he hunting eggs.? All my chuickens were very upset and I don't have a rooster to help them. Also what can I put in with them to scare away snakes?
Thank you

 

[dfalco]

found this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/will-black-snakes-harm-my-chickens-and-chicks.471171/

My experience is the snake is looking for eggs. It could be a danger to chicks. I don't know of an arkansas snake that will squeeze a chicken, but maybe someone more experienced could give more info.

 

[dfalco]

As far as scaring the snake away, I don't think that is likely. Anything that would scare the snake is sure to cause your hens to lay scrambled eggs. You need to relocate that snake, or get rid of it all together. Also, for your own peace of mind, consider securing the coop in such a way that snakes cant enter.

 

[Martih]

found this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/will-black-snakes-harm-my-chickens-and-chicks.471171/

My experience is the snake is looking for eggs. It could be a danger to chicks. I don't know of an arkansas snake that will squeeze a chicken, but maybe someone more experienced could give more info.

 

[jane s chickens]

I keep a sharpened pair of limb lobbers near my pens & use them to cut off snake's head.

 

[Martih]

Thank you for that info. I am worried about my hens. Keep running out to check on them instead of going to bed.,

 

[Martih]

As far as scaring the snake away, I don't think that is likely. Anything that would scare the snake is sure to cause your hens to lay scrambled eggs. You need to relocate that snake, or get rid of it all together. Also, for your own peace of mind, consider securing the coop in such a way that snakes cant enter.

Thanks, I will look into getting that done asap.

 

[dfalco]

I can't say I blame you, Martih. Sounds like it could at least cause them to not roost properly. I don't like to kill anything. But sometimes there is an impass. You are the human in charge of securing your chickens. So, when it comes to predators, I don't mess around. I hope you can perhaps get some help from someone to get rid of the snake.

 

[jane s chickens]

Eastern yellow belly racer is not a constrictor.

 

[centrarchid]

I am not all that confident the snake is interested in eggs or chickens. I have a good amount of snake activity in my barn. Based on their behavior and where I have been finding them, the snakes are after mice. The mice are after my chick feed and damage the building and its foundation for their use as nest sites. The snakes are catching some of the mice for sure.

The snake activity is a lot more than I have directly witnessed. The smaller snakes seem to be more in the mouse burrow system. I am not seeing much evidence for the snakes eating eggs, even in nests where a hens preparing to go broody. I check the nests daily.

Consider looking at snake as a beneficial animal that can help by consuming some of your rodents.