uggghhhhh Huge snake in the barn yikes!!!

[dawg53]

TwistedSerpent- Do you own chickens? I dont think you do as you never lost a beloved pet chicken nor a baby chick(s) to a snake. You probably feed baby chicks to your snakes, just as I feed mealworms to my chickens. Everyone here knows one thing...that snakes are predators that'll eat anything when they're hungry, rodents and chickens alike, they dont discriminate. I for one will do whatever it takes to protect my property from predators, be it poisonous or non poisonous, reptile or mammal. That means the shovel or shotgun. Quit trying to justify a snakes actions when it kills someones chicken,chicks or eats eggs. We know it's the snakes' natural instinct is to do that. We have time,money, emotions tied up in our chickens, not to see them go down a snakes throat.

Edited to remove unhelpful comment

 

[Stina]

I had a bald eagle eat one of my chickens last year...does it mean I think all bald eagles near my home should be killed?....NO.... If I had snake eating my chickens or eggs would I suddenly decide I should kill any I see....NO.... These incidents make/would make me want to protect my flock better with a better coop....not by killing things. Oh and many snakes DO discriminate....you've obviously never had a picky snake as a pet. I love my pet rats and mice...but I have snakes and they have to eat too... I love cows and chickens...but I love meat too. Many US native snakes natural instincts are to eat rodents...and rodents are MUCH more likely to do harm to your backyard flock than snakes are. So yeah, I'd welcome the snakes....even if it meant potentially losing a bird to them on rare occasion.

 

[TwistedSerpent]

I've kept many things as pets that the snakes would readily eat. Cats and dogs are predators as well I dont get the point you're trying to make. It hasnothing to do with keeping predator and prey near each other its about doing so responsibly so that nothing happens. I am not irresponsible enough to let my snakes come in contact with anything they can kill, or anything thats going to kill my snakes come close to them. Most everyone here will say the same, make the chicken coop as predator proof as possible, train dogs or keep them away if they cant be trusted. I dont understand the point your trying to argue. I understand doing what you feel is best of course but all I ask is to see if from the other size and that killing every snake within sight is unneeded for those people who only think a good snake is a dead snake, that they actually are very benefitial. Keeping snakes means I most likely understand snakes much better then you, which is why I'm so strongly against killing for no reason, not when there are other ways to keep them out yet keep them alive and taking down rodents. I am not going to hate something for its natural instincts, Stina makes some great points too.

Edit to remove reply to unhelpful comment - please use the report button.

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Yikes! I am unfamiliar with baby rattlers and whether rattlers are live bearers or egg bearers, but if it truly was a "baby", and you found a second one the next day, I'd be concerned that there might be a nest of them somewhere near by. That's the case with the copperheads around here. Sometimes you find an entire nest of little ones.

I would have your husband look around, under and in the coop, nest boxes, etc., just to make sure momma snake didn't have a bunch of those little babies somewhere near by.

I love snakes personally. But I kill all poisonous ones. I have children and pets, and I refuse to let something higher up on the chain fall victim to a poisonous snake bite. Now the non-poisonous ones are welcome at my house any time!

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Wow. I don't normally get into this sort of a thing, but I just went back and re-read, and re-re-read all of TwistedSerpent's posts, and not one single thing they said was condescending, rude, mean, or even off topic. In fact, the information TS presented was accurate and educational, and simply supportive of wildlife. I think your response is very rude, unwelcoming, and an overreaction to the TS posts. And snakes are very much a part of this chicken forum as we deal with them all the time. We are lucky to have folks who educate themselves enough about snakes so that they can offer good solid, accurate and sound advice. I would appreciate the same type of advice from those who are educated about raccoons, possums, fox, coyotes, etc., and can speak to protecting our flocks without destroying the nature around us unnecessarily.

 

[rufus]

Quote:
Actually he probably would have just regurgitated it

They can spit up golf balls, but for some reason they cannot seem to spit up light bulbs. It may be related to the shape.

We discovered in Viet Nam, the best way to handle a difficult snake is with a CO2 fire extinguisher. It sends them into a tizzy and brings them right out of where they are hiding.

Rufus

 

[beckiespor]

I KILLED A SNAKE YESTERDAY MORNING WHEN I WENT TO FEED AND WATER MY MONTH OLD, SILKIES, HOUDANS, AND AMERICANAS. THERE WAS A SNAKE IN THE CAGE WITH THEM AND HAD KILLED TWO OF MY CHICKS AND HAD EATEN ANOTHER. I HAVE A GREAT FEAR OF SNAKES AND HUBBY WAS ALREADY GONE TO WORK. SO...... I GOT THE SHOVEL AND LIKE TO HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THE CHICKS TO CROSS THE ENTER TO THE OUTSIDE. THEY WERE IN THE CORNER TERRIFIED OF WALKING PAST THE SNAKE. SO WHEN I SCARED THEM SOME MORE AND GOT THEM OUT OF THE CAGE INTO THE CHICKEN YARD.... I THEN PROCEEDED TO TRY TO GET THE SNAKE OUT OF THE CAGE. LIKE TO HAVE NEVER GOTTEN IT OUT SO I COULD KILL IT. I AM NOT A SNAKE EXPERT SO...I KILLED IT BEFORE IT COULD KILL ME. AFTER I KILLED IT AND CALLED THE NEIGHBOR ...SHE TOLD MY IT WAS A RATE SNAKE. WELL, IN MY BOOK THE ONLY GOOD SNAKE IS A DEAD ONE. ESPECIALLY AFTER TAKING THREE OF MY BABY CHICKS.

NOW... A QUESTION ABOUT "MAKING A PET OF ONE OF MY SILKIES". WHAT PROCESS DO YOU FOLLOW TO MAKE THEM A PET. MINE ARE ABOUT A MONTH OLD. I HAVE A MINI-YARD INSIDE MY REGULAR CHICKEN YARD FOR THE BABIES TILL THEY GET OLD ENOUGH TO JOIN THE ADULTS. THEY RUN EVERYTIME I COME NEAR AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN CATCH THEM IS WITH A NET. I HATE TO SCARE THEM AND THEN SAY... HI, WANT TO BE FRIENDS???

HELP

 

[rufus]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. How you handle a snake encounter may differ from your personal feelings on the issue. It all depends upon when and where the problem happens.

Rufus

 

[TwistedSerpent]

If you feel the only good snake is a dead snake without knowing a thing about them then maybe its time to actually learn a bit about them before deeming them unfit or worthy to live? You may be suprised at what you find. I guess I just dont understand why people are so unwilling to learn, yet so quick to deem something unworthy to live even if its in an area where it can come upon no harm to you or your animals simply due to irrational fears and their natural instinct. It may not be cute or cuddly, but that doeant mean it doesnt have a very important place in the enviroment. Do what you feel you need to to keep your home safe, but if its obviously causing no harm just leave it be and drop the whole whe only good one is a dead one point of view, its time to take a step foreward.

The best defence against something is to understand the ins and outs of it and know that killing isnt always the answer.

 

[Froggy with chickens now!]

When I went out Sunday afternoon, my lab on one side of the fence and my rooster were both acting a tad bit funny. Stretched out along the dividing fence was a snake about 10 foot long!

Actually he was only about 5 1/2 ft, but when it was just me, the chickens, and the dog out there, he was very long! Hubby came out and shot him, hit him in the middle. He turned headed my way, so his head was shot off. (sorry to be so graphic, but this next is funny!) That crazy, headless, 10 ft long snake headed thru the fence to me! He had his no head body raised in the air as if he could see where he was going and was coming thru the fence! I think by that time, I was a bit freaked!

Hubby got him back. We later learned he was a rat snake, but even if I had known what he was, he still would have been shot. To me, a dead snake is the only good snake. I only have a Wellie laying now and she only lays every other day. I had missed the last 2 eggs and have not had one since. So, I am thinking there might be another one of those critters out there. I forgot about the golfball, think I may do that tomorrow if there is no egg today. I have wondered if I could put out moth powder or sulfer, but if it is dangerous for my chickens, I can't do that.