A Snake in the Chicken House
By Sheila Brown
@sgbrown (1638)
United States
May 3, 2016 6:58am CST
Just the other morning, hubby and I were discussing the fact that the chickens aren’t laying very many eggs. We only have 8 chickens, but we usually get 4 to 6 eggs a day. Lately, we have been getting 1 or 2 or sometimes none!
Well the other morning, I went out to check on the chickens and had given them some more food and fresh water. I was opening the door to the chicken coop when I stuck my head in and saw this large “chicken” snake crawling up the wall into one of the nesting boxes! Needless to say, I backed away from the coop very quickly!
Chicken snakes, or bull snakes as they are sometimes called, are not poisonous but they do bite if threatened and I wasn’t going to give this guy a chance to feel threatened. I ran back to the house and told hubby there was a snake in the chicken coop. He grabbed his rifle and we went back down to “take care” of him.
I know, all living things have a place in this world, but I was not about to try and capture this guy to take him someplace else and turn him lose. He was going to have to go!
By the time hubby and I got back down there, he had crawled up into the rafters to hide. Hubby finally got him to come out and “took care” of him, then carried him out into the woods. Talk about getting your heart started first thing in the morning, this did just that!
The picture you see is not the snake that was in the chicken coop the other day. I didn't take time to take his picture, but this is the same kind of snake. This one was found in my flower bed last year!
14 people like this
12 responses
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
4 May 16
I can feel you squirming, I would too, can't stand snakes. My daughter (mother nature) saves the snakes, takes them to the woods and lets them free.. I however would probably do what your husband did..
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
5 May 16
@sgbrown and my mother nature daughter takes spiders our of the house too - I smush them.
2 people like this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
10 May 16
@PainsOnSlate The only spider I won't smush is a tarantula. They are way too big to smush! Hubby takes them outside away from the house and turns them lose. 
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48251)
• Canada
3 May 16
Snakes are one of my biggest fear in the world. I would have run away from the coop too, but I wouldn't be able to return to the coop after that, my fear would take me a long time to get over that.
I know what you mean, and although none of the snakes that we've ever found in our yard pose much of a threat to us by biting, but my husband always takes care of them for me and afterwards, he will bury it in the field behind the house.
2 people like this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
3 May 16
I will admit that I am afraid of snakes, but when we moved out here, I have to deal with them. The first year we moved out here to the country, hubby killed 6 rattlesnakes. There have been fewer every year and so far this year we haven't seen any. The chicken snakes don't scare me so much after I realize it is just a harmless snake, but I am still "leary" when I step into the chicken house!
2 people like this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
10 May 16
Apparently these snakes go by many names, bull snake, rat snake, chicken snake and black snake. All I know is that they are way too big and scare the rain out of me!
@DeborahDiane (40042)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 May 16
Wow! That would certainly have gotten my heart beating first thing in the morning, too! I hope you enjoy more eggs in the coming weeks, now.
1 person likes this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
10 May 16
That was definitely a "heart starter", @DeborahDiane I hope we start getting more eggs too, it really makes me mad to have chickens, but have to buy eggs at the store!
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
3 May 16
I would not want to run into a fellow like that. Exit, stage right for me!
2 people like this
