Ok, what did this?

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I went to close the chickens up tonight. Found 3 on the gate, 2 were inside the netting on the gate and one outside on the top of the gate. I knew something was wrong, figured the neighbors dog got in. Apparently not. Went in the chicken house and found a dead barred rock, these are at least 4 months old or 3 at the minimim. But the odd thing was its neck was pretty much slimed up to the body. Looked like something tried to swallow it and it was to big.

I'm thinking snake. Hubby said he thought once they started swallowing something they couldn't get it back out again. It wasn't torn up just yucky. Most have been roosting up in the top of the building the last month. The windows are up about 4 ft with a heavy wire but not meshtype wire. This time the door was open. Would snakes go up 4 ft to get in the building?

Honestly I will be glad when I get these dressed out and am starting to wonder if I'm going to keep any for eggs.

They are so hot, I have put a dish pan and a flat plastic storage type flat deal out there for water besides their waterers. I see them out during the day sitting on the sides, some with tails in the water, others with feet. My dog is also just miserable. I've never had so much trouble keeping chickens alive as this year. I guess all the varmits are very hungry also.

 

[TedLaRue]

Hard to imagine a snake trying to swallow a 3 month old chicken, but maybe so. I will vouch for the fact they a snake will climb for prey. I saw a black snake go straight up the a wall made of T1-11 plywood (a slightly rough siding plywood). It's pretty common to see them in trees, too, searching for bird's eggs.

They can expel something they have started to swallow. When I was a kid I kept a black snake now and then for a brief time as a "pet". We fed them pieces of liver or hotdogs, and even after poking it down their throats, they could eject it. Apparently they can flatten their backward-pointing teeth down enough to eject the food.

 

[randy41]

don't know about your dead chicken but if you could hook up a hose with a mister on it it would help keep the chickens cooler.

 

[lockhaven]

A snake can and will back off something it starts to eat. Is the climate there warm most of the winter? some people have the very bad habit of turning loose pet boas when they get too large to keep. An 8 footer could easily swallow a chicken.