Rat Snake Strikes Again: Snakes Eat Chickens! Don’t Believe the Lie That They Don’t! 

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It could have came in any number of ways. That coop is an old shed with double walls. As small as it was, it could have squeezed in a hole the size of a nickel or smaller. Furthermore I keep the window of that coop open. Those chickens that use the coop come and go at will. The purpose of the coop is only to give those chickens that don’t tree roost a place to get out of the weather and a convenient place for them to lay and me collect eggs.

Its selfish in the most basic sense of the word. The snake is only thinking of what’s best for itself. Its putting its own life ahead of the life of the chicken. If it was selfless, it wouldn’t take another life for its own benefit. But in reality a snake, like any animal, has no morality one way or the other. It is neither good nor bad. It just is. I call it selfish to illustrate this point. There is a tendency of us humans to project innocence on animals, when if fact they are no more capable of innocence as they are evil. Only a moral being can be good or evil. Animals are neither. Which also implies they’re only barely more than biological robots, which is something we don’t like say but its the spiritual and moral reality of them.

@@Florida_Bullfrog Well that's the basic fundamental of nature. There is no good or evil, just survival. If the roles were reversed, the chicken would eat a baby ratsnake (Sometimes it shocks me how predatory chickens can be). I just personally don't think the snake should have died as a result, since it ovbiously isn't aware of what it's doing and is just looking for food. But I guess in reality that's my bias towards snakes since I never had issues with wild snakes being a constant issue to chickens. The raccoons however were much more of an issue.

Chicks like to eat them I've noticed.

@@Florida_Bullfrog Great to know! I've always been afraid of letting them near them since I had seen baby birds that have fallen out of nests engulfed by the ants, but chicks that can forage are quick and voracious. Thanks!

I think the key is the chicks need to be at least several days old before being exposed. They need to be at that stage where they’re vigorously running around and pecking things like little piranhas. That’s the point they seem to relish ants. I cannot say whether breed plays a role. I’ve noticed the ant eating behavior in pure Crackers and Cracker crosses, but I also notice that in general I never have ant problems in my brooders unless a chick dies of natural causes, in which case fire ants will swarm the body at night while the other chicks rest. Otherwise ants never swarm in the brooders.

I poured a good amount of Dawn dish soap on those bastards and they were in the process of making a good sized mound near my dwelling. I kicked it and saw the gross rice like eggs and DROWNED TF out of them! I can't stand them. They're an invasive species too so you are doing a service in killing them. Orange oil I heard kills them too. Mint essential oil as well. That f@$ks with their sense of smell and I think that kills them too!

At night the chickens are lethargic. They’ll react to a large predator that makes a ruckus but a snake is so stealthy it doesn’t register with them in the dark.

My chickens apparently killed and partially ate a coral snake a few weeks ago behind my house. Because I have a toddler I would kill any coral snake I found on the farm. But out in the deep woods coral snakes get a pass. I do not think they’re a threat to chickens. Interestingly I know a reptile expert that considers a coral snake the biggest snake threat when tent camping due to the possibility of one entering a sleeping bag and biting a person while they sleep. I did once catch a very large coral snake smelling around inside my backpack. I have the incident partially on film in one of my older videos.

@@Florida_Bullfrog thanks. since i am not in the deep woods, next siting will be its last.

Safety first. I believe venomous snakes should be preserved but never at the expense of human life. If there’s a doubt, kill. Or remove if it can be done safely by someone with experience. I’d rather the snake lose its life than a human.

Another great video. People who think everything needs to be protected really need to get a grasp of reality.

I do but not many this year. I'm building up my flock this year for selling a lot next year. I see what's coming in terms of a chicken shortage.

@@Florida_Bullfrog I appreciate that brother and if you need more game birds I have plenty I can give you