Will snakes take a BIG chicken?

[moenmitz]

I know they will get chicks- biggest snakes we have around here are bull snakes. DH found a shed snakeskin from one in the barn the other day. The little ones are behind hardware cloth, but the big chickens are in a chain link pen in the barn (which is closed up at night, but of course, little critters can always find a way in). We have lots of barn cats sleeping next to the pen, and a dog that is death on raccoons, so I am not worried about most predators, but a snake, well...I dont think they would be much deterrent to a snake. I hadnt thought about them until that, and then I was reading a horrible post on here about a snake that swallowed a bunch of chicks :|

 

[Wolf-Kim]

It is not common to find snakes eating adult standard chickens. They will however attempt to eat adults from time to time, it's not often but it is known to happen. If they feel threatened or if they misjudge the size of their prey, they will usually kill but not successfully devour.

Problems with snakes and adult standard chickens are rare. Snakes prefer to go after the eggs and chicks. Most people don't worry about it.

-Kim

 

[4roosandahen]

Hi Moenmitz,
Snakes will definatly try and eat chickens. I had it happen to me just last week. It could not eat the whole chicken so it ended up regergitating it(swallowed the head and neck and couldn't get any further). It took a little detective work to figure out what it was for sure. It happened in the coop and since my coop is very well fenced I was not locking the birds in at night but, I had started after the my favorite chicken got killed and this weekend I was glad I was locking them in.

This is the front of the coop and the door (can't see it) is too the left

Backside of the coop.
I guess my sulfur powder did not totally work but the keeping the door on the coop closed at night did

My advice.......... keep it closed. I built this coop for hot summers by having lots of windows and an open bottom(hardwire bottom) for extra ventalation.
Good Luck,
Stephenie
PS: I think the snake is a rat snake.

 

[Flyingbavarian]

I lost 4 pullets to a snake. He tried to eat them but could'nt get them down. Luckily i caught him in the act before he killed more. He was just moving from one to the next until he could get one down i guess.