# Bull snakes



## goatlover1974 (Feb 24, 2013)

Can a bull snake kill my goats, or my dogs? Worried about both, especially my small pugs.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Bull snakes are not poisonous...unless a very large one wraps around a small dog or kid goat..but I have never known one to be that adventurous...they tend to like an easy meal such as my eggs


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Bull Snakes are your best friend. They eat Rattle Snakes and rodents. They may take eggs, chicks, and baby rabbits. They don't eat anything larger. Manage them well and they will care for your farm in return...


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## goatlover1974 (Feb 24, 2013)

I hope you are right. I read they can get up to 6' long- that's scary. Want nothing to happen to my babies


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Bull snakes stick to smaller prey. They won't go after a small dog or goats.



> They eat Rattle Snakes and rodents.


I've heard that's a myth actually...them eating rattlesnakes.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Helpful or not they ate over 80+ eggs this summer so far!! mostly turkey..I kill them lol


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Yikes...that's not good!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

No its not...my hens were nesting ..we counted over 80 eggs between them..next morning...all but 9 or so were gone!! plus a number of chicken and duck eggs...we found a snake next with broken eggs shells and different sized skins...needless to say..my son is on the look out for the owner to return home


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

KW Farms said:


> I've heard that's a myth actually...them eating rattlesnakes.


 They fill up their territory and compete for the same food sources. It comes out much the same. 
The first anyone new wants to do out in the high desert is kill the big Bull Snakes, once they do that the Rattlesnakes move into the slot instead.

6 feet is not that big for a snake. They are very slender, their heads aren't big enough to swallow anything large.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Cathy, snakes don't leave broken eggshells. I suspect that you are blaming the wrong creature. 70 eggs in one night would imply that you have a rather large rat problem.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

YIKS....not seen any rats..but have seen the snakes..I didnt know they didnt leave egg shells behind...Maybe skunk or raccoon?? but then my Dogs would go nuts..???? it is a lot of eggs in one night for sure!!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

My husband suggested perhaps a Stoat.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

ok...what is a stoat???


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

tiny weasel...


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

I think it's king snakes that kill poisonous snakes


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yep, King Snakes for sure eat other snakes and the California King is really pretty.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I love king snakes. They are pretty and useful. We like garter snakes and spreading adders and green snakes too. I don't care for chicken snakes though.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

awe..a snoat is cute lol...I thought it was a joke..like maybe snoat stood for sneaky goat lol...Haven't seen anything that cute around here..


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## MollyLue9 (Oct 14, 2012)

happybleats said:


> awe..a snoat is cute lol...I thought it was a joke..like maybe snoat stood for sneaky goat lol...Haven't seen anything that cute around here..


Lol "sneaky goat"


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

happybleats said:


> No its not...my hens were nesting ..we counted over 80 eggs between them..next morning...all but 9 or so were gone!! plus a number of chicken and duck eggs...we found a snake next with broken eggs shells and different sized skins...needless to say..my son is on the look out for the owner to return home


He might want to be a little careful, I believe snakes swallow eggs whole. I know they don't break the eggs prior to eating them. Seems to me like you're blaming the wrong critter.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

perhaps...we haven't seen any sign of any other critters..but we will take a better look around...should be hard to find..it will be the one fat on eggs lol


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## The-bleating-goat-farm (Jul 12, 2013)

A snake wouldn't eat 80 eggs for sure, we have snakes they don't leave cracked shells either they swallow whole. They don't tend to gorge themselves even a six foot snake would eat a rat or a couple of eggs and be done. We have found several rat and garders in our yard, my husband the snake whisperer catches them and moves them to the woods out back. Snakes play an important role in the environment they keep rodents from over populating. I personally think they are amazing creatures, but then again I think most critters are amazing!


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## The-bleating-goat-farm (Jul 12, 2013)

Could be a raccoon or opossum?


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## goatylisa (Dec 29, 2012)

wow, that is a lot of eggs in one night, now I want to know what it is!! You must let us know.. maybe a baby cam or one of those night cameras that take pictures with a card you insert in your computer?


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I would almost bet it is more than one animal. The word is out there is a buffet at your house. Do you have wild hogs there? They _will_ eat eggs too, a lot of people forget about them. Raccoons, oppossums, coyotes, foxes, feral dogs, stray dogs, any of those will eat chickens and eggs.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

goathiker said:


> tiny weasel...


That is the freakin' cutest predator ever! LOL


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Winter time tiny weasel


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

No wild hogs near home:there is a fox living across the road...but Our chicken coop is right off the back yard and the turkey pen is on the other corner both being under the watchful eyes of three big dogs lol..I think some one fell a sleep lol.. 
Snakes have been bad this year...I have lived here for 8 years and saw only a few last year...this year we see them all over. my 7 year old was climbing a tree and felt something funny..looked down and he had his hand on a snake that was tucked in a knot hole lol...thought he was going to fall out of the tree!! A friend who raises all kinds of birds is having the same issue..she found one snake in her Peacock pen..ate two eggs already and was working on the third...she was not happy at all....we did move the broody turkey hen and her eggs and haven't seen any more disappearing..but still struggling with chicken eggs..we put gulf balls in the nest..collect a few times a day instead of once and finally we are bringing in 17-18 eggs....still not nearly enough for the amount of chickens we have...but better than none at all : ) I will be looking for signs of other creatures like skunks and fox..racoons..just in case...
there has got to be some kindof sign who the robber is...


> maybe a baby cam or one of those night cameras that take pictures with a card you insert in your computer?


I dont have a camera...but that would be cool to see him in action..if I do find out for sure who the egg stealer is, I will def. Share it here


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

You know, now that you mention it, I've seen a lot more bull snakes this year than I've seen in the last 10 years combined. No idea why, though. I just chalked it up to going along with a whacked out summer all the way around.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

We don't have many large snakes where I live now. So, we have a plague of rodents this year instead. There are so many voles you can hear them grazing on the lawn and the rats are going through poison like it is candy. I have seen many more birds of prey however so, hopefully they are helping. 
I'm only getting 2 eggs a day from 18 hens...Unfortunately I can't blame it on snakes, just rats.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Maybe this will help Cathy, It describes how each type of predator eats eggs and takes chickens.

http://icwdm.org/Inspection/livestock.asp


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree...weather has been so crazy here in Texas..wet,dry windy cool hot...and that was just this week lol (ouch...old joke lol)


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Thanks Jill..I would have to say the snake is the only thing on there except we have seen broken shells in the same area as snake skins of different sizes..thereis never any signs in the coops..no dead hens..no egg shells or mess..maybe we are dealing with more than one egg stealer?? My son said he read there are times when a snake will leave the shells...he is going to find me that info..


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

They look like this...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Is that what a snake left behind?

Oh and now my son wants a snoat lol


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yes, that's a snake's leavings.

I think he'd have to settle for a Ferret...I want a Ringtail Cat...


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

goathiker...I liked your little skunk you lost...she was adorable!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks, I miss her a lot with her little busyness. I may have another coming in though, I was smelling a little funk in the back 5 acre pasture a couple days ago. The original had 4 or 5 litters here. If I spot one, I'm going to chicken screen the 2 sides I can get to of my less then sharing neighbor's fence. I did plant the water Cress and leaf lettuce that I normally do for the little munchers and the black berries are ripe. 

Now, why am I still on here when I'm pulling out early tomorrow? Hmm...

Cathy, maybe the snakes are spitting up the shells and then something else is chewing on them? That's still a lot of eggs at once thpugh.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Thanks Jill....It is alot of eggs...


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## goatlover1974 (Feb 24, 2013)

I'd rather have snakes, than rats. Just was concern about size, and if they could strangle my pugs, or baby goats.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I have two ferrets they are awesome and stoats are super cute. We have long tailed weasels here they are super cuties too.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

That is what the eggs looked like that my son found ...

also collected 36 eggs last night YAHOOOOO and our turkey hen hatched 6 babies so far...Already better than last season...we only got 5 lol


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

That works!


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## goatylisa (Dec 29, 2012)

check out this snake catching device.. pretty cool 
http://www.survivallife.com/2013/07/29/quick-simple-dirty-way-to-deal-with-snakes/


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