There was a snake in the COOP!!

[ChickenCanoe]

We have lots of snakes. I pulled a big 5' black snake out of one of the coops that was nosing into a nest looking to have eggs for dinner.

For the record, I love snakes. They always startle me when I come on them unexpectedly but I still like having them around. They are great mousers.
I was thinking recently about all the snakes I've stumbled on and have seen. I don't know how many but in over 60 years of farming, camping, hiking, canoeing, hunting and fishing in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, southwestern states, Mexico and all over Central America, it has to be many hundreds of snakes. Venomous and non-venomous and I've never been bitten. All in all, they're just not that big of a problem and are an asset to have around.

 

[centrarchid]

This one was 78". I have been bitten more than a few times but not hard to see why from images below. Line of work gets me bit as well.

 

[aart]

I covered the holes with dirt

Did something dig under the run or coop(?) wall, making those holes?
You could have a rodent problem as well.
Snakes will cruise rodent holes looking for a mouse or rat dinner.

 

[centrarchid]

They can also switch over to specializing on what ever prey is abundant. Over last week I can could expect half dozen eggs being gone if left out over night. Even broodies having a hard time protecting although some appear up to the task. I sucked it up an did a relocation on bugger I caught last night. Will now impose a length limit, must be less than 48" which is big enough to eat mice but small enough to keep out of nest.

 

[chickenmama109]

We did have rats in the garage but we killed them all and I don't know if they went to the coop or not

 

[cmom]

Did something dig under the run or coop(?) wall, making those holes?
You could have a rodent problem as well.
Snakes will cruise rodent holes looking for a mouse or rat dinner.

I agree. I have a coop that had a ceiling and for whatever reason we covered the studs on the inside of the coop with plywood. I had a rat problem they chewed holes and got into the ceiling and between the inside and outside walls in the coop and made nests. I tore out the ceiling and inside walls put some rat and mice baits in the barn where I had also seen some rats, which is next to the coops. No more rats. I found a few dead ones then and disposed of them.

 

[cmom]

I have seen snakes around the coops but the other day was the first one curled up next to a nest box.
This is one that was around, and the one next to a next box looked just like it.

 

[chickenmama109]

I have seen snakes around the coops but the other day was the first one curled up next to a nest box.
This is one that was around, and the one next to a next box looked just like it.
View attachment 1451511

Yes the snake in my coop looked just like that

 

[cmom]

A couple of coach-whips were electrocuted on the fence because their tails were touching the ground and the electric wire at the same time and were electrocuted. We found this snake by the chick coop. It looks like the one that was curled up by a next box in one of the coops.

This snake was the one by the chick coop. A friend killed it.

 

[chickenmama109]

I'm glad it was only one snake I hope none come back lol