3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[thegenealogist]

Hi,

 

I looked out the window to see my silver sussex running across the lawn with something hanging from her beak. I ran out, thinking it might have been some string and therefore bad for her, and across the dry, spikey grass with my bare feet, and getting closer to her realised it was a young snake. She had caught in under the shrubs and now was running around the garden with her prize, chased by the other two hens and me.

It was very funny, though not for the snake. Unfortunately I didn't have the phone in my pocket so couldn't take a photo, so couldn't identify the snake. Neither could I catch her to release it. It was about a foot long and about the thickness of my little finger.

She looked rather full up after she re-emerged from the bushes so I guess the snake didn't make it

 

Any one else find a snake in the garden by this unusual method?

[Egluntyne]

Could it have been a slow worm?

[Lavenders_Blue]

How entertaining! (But not for the snake)

 

I suppose it could have been worse - you could have ended up with snake tug of war!

[thegenealogist]

Yes, it could have been a slow worm, it was very pretty. I couldn't see any diamonds on its back, but I really only had a glance at it and she was off running again, the patterns gave more of an impression of lines, like the photos of slow worms are. I hope it was, it may have escaped by shedding its tail. A pity it was caught as none of our reptiles are common.

[Ash]

Couldnt have been an Adder or your chicken might not have won the battle.

They are the only venomous snake native to the UK and left untreated can kill a human. But before you worry about that there has not been a recorded death from an Adder bite for over 20 years but thats only because your never really that far from help in the UK. Left untreated you are likely to be brown bread.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

We only have grass snakes, smooth snakes and adders in the UK. I hope it wasn't a smooth snake or a slow worm - they're rare to endangered! I found a tiny slow worm near the coop and had to whip it out of harm's way!

 

Does sound addery from the diamonds!

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/identification.htm

 

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/slow_worm.htm

 

Adders get a bad rap. They can make you ill, but even without treatment will rarely have bitten with enough venom to kill a human. You should always get medical help pronto with any snake bite just in case, but brown bread is a bit of an exaggeration. They can also choose how much venom to release in a bite, and don't always choose to let rip. They don't like humans and tend to slither off if they feel vibrations in the earth nearby. Chickens, however, given their size may be a different matter!

 

There was a fool of a man near where I live recently who picked one up and got bitten and was very ill, but that was more of an allergic reaction to the venom than the venom per se. He said he did it to protect his child. I would have thought picking up the child and moving him away would have been saner, but hey ho - that's my locale!

[jellykelly]

My lot are partial to a nice slow worm occassionaly. It's ok if the kids are here because they'll step in, resuce and relocate. I'm so scared of anything wormy or snake like that I run in the other direction , screaming like a baby!