Will black snakes harm my chickens and chicks?

[hefalumpmom]

I think armadillos will eat pretty much anything. They also carry leprosy (Hansen's Disease) and can transmit it to humans. Oddly enough, Missouri now has armadillos. They are a very common roadkill sight around where I live, but our county will no longer pick up their carcasses because of the disease risk.

 

[Txchicky]

I think armadillos will eat pretty much anything.  They also carry leprosy (Hansen's Disease) and can transmit it to humans.  Oddly enough, Missouri now has armadillos.  They are a very common roadkill sight around where I live, but our county will no longer pick up their carcasses because of the disease risk.

Yes they can carry leprosy. Nasty!! The one that my dog killed was walking around the coop so I am not sure of its intentions, but whatever it was got cut short.

 

[Triple Willow]

You are correct. We do have a speckled king snake (what we call salt and pepper snakes) that can be anywhere from heavily patterned with spots to solid black. I thought they were the ones that ate other snakes (thus the name king???), but I came across some videos claiming to show (perhaps misidentified) black snakes doing it too. Here is a pic of a smaller black snake we had a few weeks ago. This one was probably only 3-3 1/2'. I just shooed it into the woods. I just found it funny that my girls made this huge squawking fuss over an 18" milk snake and completely ignored these much bigger ones. Guess they saw the smaller one as potential prey and the bigger ones as no prey but no threat?? The ducks and goose sure didn't like it though!

Yep that is a black rat snake (aka: chicken snake). You are lucky to have the Speckled King. They have the reputation as the king snake that is the most agressive about killing other snakes. I wish I had about half a dozen of those here around my house! The reason you see some that are speckled and some blacker is they are probably interbreeding with the Black King Snake. Here where I live the black rat snake and gray rat snake interbreed a lot so we have various patterns from black to brown. I sure do wish I had some of your Speckled Kings!

 

[Triple Willow]

Yes they can carry leprosy. Nasty!! The one that my dog killed was walking around the coop so I am not sure of its intentions, but whatever it was got cut short.

Leprocy! Oh boy! That's a little bit scary.

 

[Triple Willow]

Here's a great snake thread. Be sure to read post number 126.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/515899/best-way-ive-found-yet-to-deal-with-snake-problems

 

[HerBee45]

We have five chickens and a couple of weeks ago I went to the nesting box to find a black snake with an egg in it's mouth. I did get something to push it away, out of the coop and it dropped the egg and left. We plugged everything we could in the coop and nesting boxes and it didn't come back BUT..yesterday found a black snake IN the run..chickens just standing there looking at it, lol. Saw where the snake came in this time and reinforced the bottom of the chain link of the run with fine mesh. This morning I let our dogs out (chicken run and area is divided from our yard by a picket fence from house to shed) and heard one of the dogs barking furiously...black snake stretched along the base of the picket fence..methinks looking for a way to get to the other side where the coops are. I went out and it slithered off but found an entry under the barn doors into the shed now! I have heard they won't take on full size chickens and they are more likely to kill it but, oh yes...they will take the eggs. I'm most concerned about the dogs...five of them together or individually would have no problem, I'm sure, but we have a teacup Yorkie, also...his chances might not be so good given he's about the size of a bantam...but don't want to kill the snake. Everything has a right to live and be it's natural self, we believe, but not be a nuisance or a threat. It's a tough situation for we know black snakes are particularly beneficial in the yard...just don't want the eggs stolen or anything hurt

 

[Triple Willow]

We have five chickens and a couple of weeks ago I went to the nesting box to find a black snake with an egg in it's mouth.  I did get something to push it away, out of the coop and it dropped the egg and left.  We plugged everything we could in the coop and nesting boxes and it didn't come back BUT..yesterday found a black snake IN the run..chickens just standing there looking at it, lol. Saw where the snake came in this time and reinforced the bottom of the chain link of the run with fine mesh.  This morning I let our dogs out (chicken run and area is divided from our yard by a picket fence from house to shed) and heard one of the dogs barking furiously...black snake stretched along the base of the picket fence..methinks looking for a way to get to the other side where the coops are.  I went out and it slithered off but found an entry under the barn doors into the shed now!  I have heard they won't take on full size chickens and they are more likely to kill it but, oh yes...they will take the eggs.  I'm most concerned about the dogs...five of them together or individually would have no problem, I'm sure, but we have a teacup Yorkie, also...his chances might not be so good given he's about the size of a bantam...but don't want to kill the snake.  Everything has a right to live and be it's natural self, we believe, but not be a nuisance or a threat.  It's a tough situation for we know black snakes are particularly beneficial in the yard...just don't want the eggs stolen or anything hurt

The only way to keep snakes out of the chickens is to use hardware cloth (1/2" X 1/2") and plug all the other holes. Snakes can climb very well so the top of the coop/run has to be made snake-proof too.

Can I ask... are you a vegetarian?

 

[HerBee45]

I'm not a vegetarian...which, I realise, sounds contradictory to us "not killing anything" since they have a right to live their lives. Very limited red meat and restrict that to grass fed, humanely raised. Same with poultry...only free range and, of course, organically fed (though not our own chickens..just their eggs).

 

[Triple Willow]

I'm not a vegetarian...which, I realise, sounds contradictory to us "not killing anything" since they have a right to live their lives. Very limited red meat and restrict that to grass fed, humanely raised.  Same with poultry...only free range and, of course, organically fed (though not our own chickens..just their eggs). 

I hate to ruin your day but you are probably believing a lot of lies. The government has assisted the commercial meat and egg industries in painting a pretty picture that the public is falling for. Actually the public doesn't want to know! The average person wants somebody else to raise the animals they are going to eat, kill them AND don't dare give them any of the details! We just want it in a pretty package in the grocery store. If you dare... look up the legal definition of "free range" and "organic" when it is applied to the commercial industry. Google the pics of the "battery cages" that hens are kept in to lay those store bought eggs. There are a couple books you also ought to check out, "Slaughterhouse" and "The Jungle".

As far as your dog, I would keep an eye on it. A 5' snake here at my house ate a full grown squirrel so yep, I am pretty sure one could eat your dog.

 

[ghostwolf211]

I'm not a fan of snakes to i'd most likely introduce it to my shotgun....Then i'd cook and eat it, just because I don't like letting anything go to waste