What killed this Copperhead?

[EddieWalker]

This is about 3 feet from the side of my house, and I haven't mowed in two weeks. I just noticed it today, but figure it's a couple days old. The dogs are on the other side of the house and behind a four foot fence. They cannot get out.

Our 15 egg laying chickens hang out on this side of the house every day. Sometimes the all run to get there all together first thing in the morning. There is another 20 or so chickens that hang out around the horse barn, and don't cross the fence that I've ever seen, to get to this area. The ducks and geese do not cross the fence. There are close to 20 guineas in three different groups, with the biggest group of 9 sometimes coming over to this area, but mostly they wonder out in the pasture with the horses. Sort of the same wit the other guineas, they just rarely all mix together.

I've heard that guineas will kill a snake, but they just haven't been seen close to the house lately. The chickens are there all the time.

Do chickens kill snakes? If so, why didn't they kill the 6 foot rat snake that got into the coop a couple months ago? Was that one too big for them, and this 2 foot cotton mouth was the right size for them?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

 

[Sysop]

Looks about half smashed into the ground.

 

[oosik]

That's what I thought. Maybe something ran over or stomped it.

 

[buickanddeere]

The Guineas killed it

 

[mddorange]

I have ran over many snakes without killing them. You have to hit the snake just right to even hurt it. Now it may have already been dead when someone ran over it.

 

[EddieWalker]

It wasn't ran over. It was just starting to smell when I found it, but the ants have been at it for awhile. I don't know how long it takes to smell, but guess it was a few days. The last time I mowed there was two weeks ago, and that would be the only thing with tires that ever goes there.

We don't have turkeys here.

It had to be either the chickens, or the guineas, and I haven't seen the guineas in that area for weeks. The chickens are there every day. I just never heard of chickens killing snakes.

 

[npalen]

Have any cats around? We had cats that would kill rattlesnakes and drag them into the barn when I was a kid back in the 50's.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

It wasn't ran over. It was just starting to smell when I found it, but the ants have been at it for awhile. I don't know how long it takes to smell, but guess it was a few days. The last time I mowed there was two weeks ago, and that would be the only thing with tires that ever goes there.

We don't have turkeys here.

It had to be either the chickens, or the guineas, and I haven't seen the guineas in that area for weeks. The chickens are there every day. I just never heard of chickens killing snakes.

Pretty sure you have feral hogs there though; they will kill a snake and most likely eat it. I have also seen hawks kill snakes, and they have been known to drop them. In fact, I saw one drop a snake about two foot long and it landed draped over a high line. It hung there for quite some time.

 

[sea2summit]

The Guineas killed it

That's exactly what they look like when my Guineas are done with them. Usually the hole is closer to the head but other than that it's the same.