Will black snakes harm my chickens and chicks?

[LoneOak]

I had a black rat snake eat a wooden nest egg once. He died because he couldn't digest it, I found him in the nest box all curled up trying to get out the hole he came in through, couldn't get out. There were hens laying in the boxes on either side of him. I threw him out in the woods and about a month later found his decomposed body and got my nest egg back. Cleaned it up and put it back where it came from.

These snakes are all around my place and I see their shed skins in the rafters of my chicken coop, barn and work shop. I generally don't ever see the snakes except in the spring when they first come out and start roaming around. Generally they are between 4 and 5 ft long and about as big around as a heavy shovel handle. They freak me out every time I see one but I try to leave them alone and just shoo them off so I won't see them again for a while.

 

[animals1981]

are eggs worth that much over there? here they are not worth anything. Are they like gold or something? A lot of people act as though losing a few is a huge deal lol

 

[Triple Willow]

PLEASE DO NOT KILL THE SNAKES!

No matter how creeped out or scared of snakes you might be, it still doesn't give you a good reason to decapitate it with a shovel, even if it ate some of your chicks. ITS PART OF LIFE, SO DEAL WITH IT. Snakes are beneficial to the environment and help reduce rodent populations. Unfortunately, many snake populations continue to decline do to human persecution and lack of knowledge. (Keep in mind that there are many snake species that are listed as endangered or speices of special concern under the Endangered Species Act Protection of Fish and Wildlife Service: it is prohibited to harm, collect, or held of possession without a special permit. The penalties for killing, collecting, possessing or even harassing these species - some of which have declined dramatically due to illegal collection - can range as high as a $5,000 fine and/or imprisonment for 180 days. In addition, anyone killing an endangered species may be required to make a restitution payment of $2,000 per animal. ) If you find a snake, then just relocate it.

Do you have "pet" snakes? If you do what do you feed them? Mice? Rats? Rabbits? There are people who think just as much of mice, rats and rabbits that do not want you killing them. They will tell you how cruel it is just just let a snake kill it and eat it! Do you tamper with that "PART OF LIFE"?

 

[Triple Willow]

Here in nc when raising chickens a snake is a snake. my chickens are my kids just like my kids and ill protect them all. I found this today sitting in my free range guinea nest she was trying to hatch out.there was 15 eggs this morning and one missing at lunch and found this in nest with only six left uneaten.not tolerated

Boy that would tick me off!

 

[animals1981]

I have a lot of hands on experience with snakes from years, they cant do much to you at all even if they bite you it wont hurt. You just need the king snakes around and indigo because without them you are screwed. Other snakes show up the ones with venom that can kill you and your family. So if somone gets bitten its your fault. The black racer remember eats copperheads and rattle snakes also. Willow they are not mad at the ""pets" dying they are mad at losing 2 dollars from eggs. lol you cannot compare that to taking a life.

 

[Triple Willow]

Here in nc when raising chickens a snake is a snake. my chickens are my kids just like my kids and ill protect them all. I found this today sitting in my free range guinea nest she was trying to hatch out.there was 15 eggs this morning and one missing at lunch and found this in nest with only six left uneaten.not tolerated

Unless the eggs were cool too long you might could have taken them out of the snake and got them to hatch. Don't know, somebody ought to try that and see, preferably not me. lol That would be a story to tell your grandkids! lol

 

[Jimmyjaffee]

Do you have "pet" snakes? If you do what do you feed them? Mice? Rats? Rabbits? There are people who think just as much of mice, rats and rabbits that do not want you killing them. They will tell you how cruel it is just just let a snake kill it and eat it! Do you tamper with that "PART OF LIFE"?

No matter how cruel some people think feeding rodents to a snake is, its a natural part of life and evolution. Snakes need to survive and need to eat too, that is why many people find them around their coop, because they are looking for a food source. People might also think slaughtering cows, pigs, and chickens is also cruel, and yet its something we do time and time again. In a lot of ways, we are similar to snakes, we need to eat and make a living, but at least snakes don't wear fur coats or breed animals just for there meat.

And yes- i do have pet snakes, they are Rough Green Snakes and they are insectivores, they eat crickets.

 

[HeatherEmme]

Sorry but, 'even if they bite you it won't hurt' sounds debatable and there is always risk of infection. People that have children who play outside must give the snake debate much more consideration than those who do not. And the same goes with people who keep their chickens as pets. There is more to consider in the pros vs cons of looking the other way when it comes to snakes. There isn't a right or wrong side to this. It's what best and safest for the individual and his or her family and flock.

 

[Triple Willow]

No matter how cruel some people think feeding rodents to a snake is, its a natural part of life and evolution. Snakes need to survive and need to eat too, that is why many people find them around their coop, because they are looking for a food source. People might also think slaughtering cows, pigs, and chickens is also cruel, and yet its something we do time and time again. In a lot of ways, we are similar to snakes, we need to eat and make a living, but at least snakes don't wear fur coats or breed animals just for there meat. And yes- i do have pet snakes, they are Rough Green Snakes and they are insectivores, they eat crickets.

I like your snakes. I actually have a couple pet snakes too. And I do have a respect for snakes, to a point. I have a huge population of snakes here at my house. If it is not venomous I haven't killed it in many years. But my respect for them only goes to a certain point - people come first then pets and livestock. If I see a venomous snake I kill it. I can't get over those states that protect venomous snakes! To me that is just ignorant! They are putting venomous snakes before people. Of course venomous snakes don't "hunt" for people to bite but when the two meet up it can be a disaster - especially if the person is elderly or a child. Back to chickens and snakes, any snake that will eat eggs will also kill and try to eat chickens if it gets the urge to do so. Maybe it is best to relocate a snake, but I think that is the individual's call. I am pretty sure that if all the non-venomous snakes are removed from an area, venomous snakes will move in. (That's why mine get to stay.) The person is just swapping one problem for a much worse problem! But we are supposed to be protectors of our animals. If coons were breaking into a coop and taking chickens, is that acceptable? Should we just leave to coon to do what it does because that is the circle of life? What if it was a stray dog? (What if it was an animal attacking people?) I believe it is the individual's decision on how they handle each situation. I believe in a lot of places it is illegal to relocate wild animals. But I do believe that the answer to a lot of "snake problems" is the king snake. They will kill other snakes (including venomous ones). They aren't "climbers" to the point the rat snake (chicken snake/black snake) is. I believe the best thing a chicken owner can do is TRY to make their coop/run snakeproof, but that is very difficult to do because a rat snake can enter at any point where there is a hole he can squeeze through - even through burrows (holes) in the ground other animals have made. Enough of my rambling on... I think the decision should be left up to the individual but it would be best if they learn all they can about whatever they are dealing with (snake, coon, cougar, etc).

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a lot of hands on experience with snakes from years, they cant do much to you at all even if they bite you it wont hurt.  You just need the king snakes around and indigo because without them you are screwed. Other snakes show up the ones with venom that can kill you and your family. So if somone gets bitten its your fault.  The black racer remember eats copperheads and rattle snakes also.  Willow they are not mad at the ""pets" dying they are mad at losing 2 dollars from eggs.  lol you cannot compare that to taking a life.

I have several years of hands on experience with snakes too. Never been bitten but I know several people who have and they won't agree with you that is does not hurt. Even from a non-venomous bite you can end up picking small snake teeth out of your skin for several days - that could lead to an infection. Their teeth remind me of tiny sharp fish bones, shaped similar to a fishing hook. I don't think a non-venomous bite is very painful, but I doubt it is painless.

The snake in the picture took several lives. And any snake that will eat eggs will kill chickens. The snake may make the mistake of killing a chicken that is too big for them to eat, but you still have a dead chicken and a hungry snake.

I disagree with you on your statement that if a family member gets bit it your fault. Nobody can control any snake crawling up in their yard. But I do think king snakes would help solve a lot of snake problems.