We had a visitor to our place PIC

[River Lizard]

and by how skinny he was.....he's hungry!! But I guess that's a good sign, not enough mice to eat! This Rat snake was about 5 foot long and has been hanging around our place for about 4 days now.

 

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

He can come to my house and get some mice!!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Really! We have plenty of mice here for him!

 

[AmyBella]

Ooooeeee! That is a big snake! Is he hanging around hoping for a chicken dinner?

 

[River Lizard]

Quote:
Well right now all we have are Guineas but I think he's safe because the Guineas are too young to get involved with a snake...they'd run as fast as they could to get away from the snake.

Heck, I think they freak when they see their shadow let alone a snake.
They've got to be one of the strangest birds I've ever been around....they definitely do not like change AT ALL.

I set a broom in the corner of the coop one day and they stayed away from that corner all day, wouldn't come within 5 feet of that broom. Then I took it out and within' about 10 minutes they were over in that corner hanging out.

 

[Crystalchic]

if they eat mice do they also eat chicks or chickens

 

[Soccer Mom]

They will eat eggs and if they can corner them, small chicks and ducklings.

I lost multiple ducklings this spring until we discovered the culprit: an enormous rat snake who was picking them out of the coop during broad daylight. He was huge and fat, much fatter than poor skinny there.

But I usually leave rat snakes alone unless they become a problem. They are beneficial.

 

[midwestmilkmaiden]

BEAUTIFUL!!

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Wow, gorgeous snake, I wish we had some big stuff like that in my area.

 

[chickenzoo]

They will also take on 3-4 month old silkie size chicks, I found out the hard way. Took a long time to get that out of my mind....

I relocated it two times and then had to kill it after it kept on. Then another one started the same thing...........

Didn't give him the chance I did for the other one. They are very pretty snakes, and as long as they leave my chickens alone and go on their way, I don't bother them.