What kind of snake is this? (*PICS*)

[kuntrygirl]

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You have a rat snake in your yard that is an occupant?

OMG!

 

[kuntrygirl]

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OMG!!! I would have died from the scare alone!

Yea, I was shocked when I reached in and felt "something" that did not feel like an egg.

 

[CupidsDelite]

Poor thing. I just relocate them.

 

[mulewagon]

They're also capable of returning over and over, and eating every egg and chick you have. We had one that size, and it ate as many as 7 chicks at a time. There are plenty of mice and frogs in the yard, it just wanted chicks.

It's dead now, and all new chicks and mamas spend their nights in a snake-proof cage. (There's another one coming in, it got two eggs... it's not going in the minnow trap, I'm going to try deer netting.)

There can come a point where you have to decide if you're raising chickens or snakes!

 

[CupidsDelite]

I find that I can take them pretty far away in my truck.... I pulled 3 yellow rat snakes out of my hen house at once back in May, haven't seen one since.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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Ok, I will surely remember that next time. Good information to know and remember. Thanks.

Because I sell eggs, I can't afford for them to eat any. I also have baby ducks in kennels on the ground, so they may find the ducklings tasty. So, they wouldn't be welcome in my yard. I guess I could trap it and see if anyone wants him for their property.

I get a visitor at least once a year. All the chickens, ducks and turkeys did was walk over to it, look at it and turn away. I asked them were they going to kill it and they just shook their head and walked out of the chicken house.

 

[epeloquin]

I wouldn't kill them if you see them. They are great for rodent control.

You can generally tell a poisonous snake because if it is a viper (which most poisonous snakes in the US are) it will have a distintive arrow shaped head. Rat snakes are colubrids which (with only a couple exceptions not in US) are non-venomous.

 

[yinepu]

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You have a rat snake in your yard that is an occupant?

OMG!

yeah.. she's actually a nice snake.. I see her at least once a week.. and have seen her slither under a hen and right back out the other side and the hen never budged.. the chickens and cats know her and no one pays her any attention.. my mailman freaked out when he saw her.. she was laying under a bush with one of the cats laying right next to her (they were actually touching fur to scales).. he thought the snake was dead til she lifted her head and stuck her tongue out.. I had to explain to him that she has been here for over 5 years and that the cats and chickens had known her ever since they were little.. i have seen her munch on some eggs.. but i have never seen her go after a chick (not saying she hasn't.. just have never had an issue with disappearing kittens or chicks since we found her).. she has somehow found a way to coexist with everyone .. so i have no problem with our strange snake living here

 

[Ole rooster]

I do agree. The rat snakes we have are occupants also. Although the mama we've had, since I move her last time, hasn't been seen. She took up in the upstairs area of my shed. Maybe it just to hot now days. I know she's been here 4 years. The copperheads I do away with.

 

[Gerry2011]

Years ago I had black snakes that would raid the eggs. Usually they had just swallowed it and it wasn't down very far, so I would grab the snake and squeeze the egg back out then give the snake to my girls and they'd carry it about 1/4 mile away across the creek. Well, I swore the darned critters would beat the kids back to the chicken coop.

As it turns out they do return to "their" area, so when relocating them be sure to take them FAR away or you'll being seeing them again.