Will black snakes harm my chickens and chicks?

[BBQChicken]

We've dispatched 2 rat snakes on our property. I usually leave a non venomous snakes alone, but these 2 were very aggressive. I like snakes and I was sad to have to do it, but it was a human safety issue.

 

[LoneOak]

What ever happens and what ever anyone post on this site or another, Black rat snakes are beneficial to the environment around your home or yard and would very seldom kill a full grow hen. People often enlarge the actual dimensions or the snake when they see it just because that is something we do. You should never be afraid of snakes but you should show great respect for them and their environment!

If you want to learn more about the black rat snake that is so popular then read this article on the species from the National Geographic folks.. Please don't kill Non Posinous snakes!!!!!!

 

[LoneOak]

We've dispatched 2 rat snakes on our property. I usually leave a non venomous snakes alone, but these 2 were very aggressive. I like snakes and I was sad to have to do it, but it was a human safety issue. Why, they won't hurt you at all. What safety issue did you eliminate by dispatching the snakes. As the Nat Geo article I posted a link to above says Black Snakes aren't aggressive.

 

[bantamrooster]

I kill them all.
They love broody eggs and chicks here. Have also had them kill bigger chickens and quail.
Theyre like all the other predators. Once they see how good chicken taste and how easy hunting them is theyll come back again and again for them.

 

[BBQChicken]

I live in Texas, they bite. The majority of them will strike at you as soon as they see you around here. I have small children that are no match for a 5 foot, mean as hell rat snake.
Look up Texas rat snake behavior, mean little buggers.

 

[Lil Peeps]

What ever happens and what ever anyone post on this site or another, Black rat snakes are beneficial to the environment around your home or yard and would very seldom kill a full grow hen.  People often enlarge the actual dimensions or the snake when they see it just because that is something we do.  You should never be afraid of snakes  but you should show great respect for them and their environment!

If you want to learn more about the black rat snake that is so popular then read this article on the species from the National Geographic folks..  Please don't kill Non Posinous snakes!!!!!!

I agree that you shouldn't just wast natural life, but I can't have snakes around my coop that could be threat to my little chicks. So I either kill them if they are posing an immediate threat or re-locate them. Killing my chicken makes them an immediate threat. And that was not a fake guessed dimension for the snake we measured it's length, width, and girth after we killed it and have it written down somewhere. Our job is to protect our girls and if there is something harming my girls, it goes. I do try to let the wildlife stay, I have let several king and rat snakes go. Way more than I have ever killed. And also we have allowed a possum to live around our house. We each are allowed to do with our property as we feel fit. I agree don't waste life, but don't let a killer go either! Either relocate far away or kill. If it has already harmed, I kill. If it is only lurking, I re-locate.

 

[FlyWheel]

I went down to my chicken pen a few years ago to find a three foot long BS wrapped around a dead 18 week old pullet. What exactly a 1 inch diameter snake was planning to do with a bird that was 10 times bigger around than it was is anyone's guess! I unwrapped it from the dead bird, took it across the street and threw it deep into the woods.

 

[Sonya9]

I live in Texas, they bite. The majority of them will strike at you as soon as they see you around here. I have small children that are no match for a 5 foot, mean as hell rat snake.
Look up Texas rat snake behavior, mean little buggers.

Seriously? They threaten because they are SCARED of the much larger animals that kill them for no reason (i.e. folks that kill every snake they see for sport, or "just because they are frightened of snakes") . Even a 5 foot rat snake would be NO threat to a child. They rarely bite unless grabbed, and even if they do bite it is not much more than a scratch.

Plus in many states it is ILLEGAL to harm native non-venomous reptile species. It is most certainly against the law in Georgia.

And if people have a problem with rat snakes coming into the hen house at night they need to be responsible chicken keepers and SECURE THEIR COOP! When I have a broody raising chicks in the coop I go the extra step and lock the broody/chicks in a cat or dog kennel at night with hardware cloth on the vents just to be extra sure.

Slaughtering wildlife after folks decided to offer a free chicken buffet is not only immoral, it is often illegal.

 

[BBQChicken]

Seriously? They threaten because they are SCARED of the much larger animals that kill them for no reason (i.e. folks that kill every snake they see for sport, or "just because they are frightened of snakes") . Even a 5 foot rat snake would be NO threat to a child. They rarely bite unless grabbed, and even if they do bite it is not much more than a scratch.

Plus in many states it is ILLEGAL to harm native non-venomous reptile species.  It is most certainly against the law in Georgia.

And if people have a problem with rat snakes coming into the hen house  at night they need to be responsible chicken keepers and SECURE THEIR COOP! When I have a broody raising chicks in the coop I go the extra step and lock the broody/chicks in a cat or dog kennel at night with hardware cloth on the vents just to be extra sure.  

Slaughtering wildlife after folks decided to offer a free chicken buffet is not only immoral, it is often illegal.

When you come upon a snake and start to back away it shouldn't chase you. These snakes were not provoked. As I stated before, I like snakes they help with the rodent population. I have one that lives in my barn by the feed room, he's my buddy.

My child is immune-suppressed, a "scratch" can be fatal. Snakes have bacteria in their mouths, this is not a big deal for people with normal immune systems, but for my child it can be deadly.

I don't kill animals because I enjoy it, I am responsible for the protection of my children and livestock. With that being said, my coop is Ft. Knox, and my LGDs are on patrol. If it makes you feel better, the dogs and chickens enjoyed their snake dinner. Nothing goes to waste on my farm.

Would you be so upset if I said I killed a coyote that was harassing my cows and killed a calf? What if I told you my dogs have killed coyotes, raccoons, skunks(yuck!), and anything else they consider a threat or dinner?
Do you feel as strongly about the other predators out there?

I don't routinely kill predators, only those that are a threat to my family and my way of life. I'm well within my legal rights, gotta love Texas.

 

[Tumbling K]

I don't routinely kill predators, only those that are a threat to my family and my way of life. I'm well within my legal rights, gotta love Texas.

another good thing about Texas, is you don't have to explain to anyone, why or what you do on your property regarding the legal killing of a predator.

don't feel like you have to defend your actions to those that are so vehemently opposed to them. no one except you, know's your exact situation, and that is fine.