Snake sleeping in nesting box

[Wise Woman]

Oh my gosh. If I ever find a snake in my chicken coop or nest box, I will need CPR because I will have a heart attack on the spot! I wouldn't stop to find out if it was poisonous or not. I am not a snake fan. I don't go out of my way to hurt them and when I do see them I run in the opposite direction, but I do not like them. Especially since we have rattlesnakes around here. I do not prefer to go to the venom ER at Loma Linda.

My daughter was bitten in the foot by a rattlesnake a few years ago and thankfully she was wearing steel toed shoes and it didn't get through to her foot. But she could see the venom running down her shoe. It never rattled and it didn't try to get away. She was changing the trash at a park where she volunteered and it must have been sleeping under the can. She startled it and it bit her. If it would have gotten her leg or if she had been wearing different shoes, who knows how it would have ended. I realize they are part of nature and all, but I do not want them in my yard, around my animals or my children or grandchildren.

I almost stepped on one that was crawling out from under our deck one day. I had a basket of wet laundry and didn't see it until my foot was about 3 inches from it's head. I ran like someone lite me on fire. Again, I shudder to think what would have happened if it would have bit me.

My husband works for a propane company and finds them all the time under tanks. Luckily he too wears steel toes, but it is only a matter of time I fear until one bites him in the leg. He is always careful to check under the tanks and under the lids just in case, but you never know. Very scary. Luckily they haven't bothered our chickens ever. I plan to keep it that way.

 

[Attila the Hen]

Despite my intentions I may have killed the snake. I had a large marble egg in the next box to encourage the girls and it has disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this possible? I will have a complete clean out over the weekend and see.

 

[MSDeb]

Quote:
I have a ceramic egg in the coop that appears and disappears on a regular basis.

 

[rivers2011]

You are a brave woman for getting that snake out with your hands!!! Hope it doesn't bother your chickens again!

 

[Attila the Hen]

Quote:
I have a ceramic egg in the coop that appears and disappears on a regular basis.

Are you quite sure about that? I don't know how the girls would get it out. The marble egg probably weighed 5 oz.
And, no,no,no I never handled the snake with my bare hands. I used a long stick which didn't impress the snake at all. He still refused to move. I picked him up with the end of the stick/rake.

 

[MSDeb]

Quote:
I have a ceramic egg in the coop that appears and disappears on a regular basis.

Are you quite sure about that? I don't know how the girls would get it out. The marble egg probably weighed 5 oz.
And, no,no,no I never handled the snake with my bare hands. I used a long stick which didn't impress the snake at all. He still refused to move. I picked him up with the end of the stick/rake.

I don't think anyone is eating the ceramic egg. It's the girls kicking it around and burying it. I tried when they were younger (before anyone was laying) putting it in the nest box. I'd find it outside the coop under leaves, in sand pits, under mulch. It still shows up when I'm raking. I still put it in an empty nest as a game and I guess they keep kicking it out as a game.

If our snake is eating eggs, it is doing it on the sly and I hope to never catch him/her at it. I see it about once a year and that is plenty, we go our separate ways and call it good.

 

[flnatv]

My son removed one from our coop a couple of weekends ago... and he DID get bit. Don't know why he grabbed it with bare hands, but he did. Not only did it bite him, but he scolded it for biting him. Walks down the road with blood dripping from the bite, refusing to let go of the snake...

We relocated it across the creek at a snake friendly neighbors house.... not far, but far enough to keep my baby bantams safe.

Alls well as it was also a black snake and wasn't poisonous.

 

[Attila the Hen]

Now that's a brave young man and compassionate too. You are lucky to have such a fine son.
My snake did get a bit peeved and hissed at me with a big open mouth. I was a good 6-8 feet away and deserved it.