Snakes and chicken eggs?

I'm curious, will your average (large enough) snake eat chicken eggs? Someone was asking how to humanely trap a snake they thought was eating all their coop produce. I had a vague notion that only snakes specially suited to the purpose could eat bird eggs (I'm thinking of the African Egg-eating Snake that has specialized protrusions to crush the egg) but OTOH maybe most can... I seem to recall a story somewhere about a snake that accidentally ate a lightbulb being used to trick hens into laying more eggs (something about if hens find and extra "egg" they lay even more... no I don't know either!)

My best friend's mother has an aviary full of pigeons (she does wildlife rehab but frequently gets pigeons, which cannot be released since they are not native). To keep them from laying lots and lots of eggs, she replaces the eggs with wooden ones.

One day she went out to the aviary and discovered a snake (can't remember what type it was just now) that had swallowed one of the wooden eggs. She made it regurg the egg, kept it for a feeding to make sure it was ok, then released it. Two days later it did the same thing again. After the second release she never saw it again.

So yea, I'm not so sure about chicken eggs, but apparently some snakes will at least attempt to eat pigeon eggs (or their wooden replacements).

I'm not sure about corn snakes but I have heard of people feeding king snakes quail eggs and such. So I can imagine if a corn was big enough(or a kin) they MAY be able to eat a chicken egg. I"m not sure how healthy it would be but they may be able to.

Ceridwen said:

My best friend's mother has an aviary full of pigeons (she does wildlife rehab but frequently gets pigeons, which cannot be released since they are not native). To keep them from laying lots and lots of eggs, she replaces the eggs with wooden ones.

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You can shake the eggs, too, and just replace them. Then the snake won't be eating fake eggs!

My (male) pigeon Milly sits on fake plastic eggs willed with sand. He loves his eggs! After three or four weeks, he abandons them and builds a new nest. I take the eggs away, and then put them back a couple weeks later. It keeps Milly entertained.

snakemom1961 said:

I'm not sure about corn snakes but I have heard of people feeding king snakes quail eggs and such. So I can imagine if a corn was big enough(or a kin) they MAY be able to eat a chicken egg. I"m not sure how healthy it would be but they may be able to.

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Yes, in the wild, most Rat, Corn, and Kingsnakes will not pass up any bird eggs they find. I know I feed my getula kings slugs. About the nutrition of a chicken egg, nearly 100% protein, some calcium, and everything needed to sustain a baby chick, its prolly one of the healthiest foods available, just expect to see some runny poop.

mike17l said:

Yes, in the wild, most Rat, Corn, and Kingsnakes will not pass up any bird eggs they find. I know I feed my getula kings slugs. About the nutrition of a chicken egg, nearly 100% protein, some calcium, and everything needed to sustain a baby chick, its prolly one of the healthiest foods available, just expect to see some runny poop.

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Yup, black snakes are the best things to keep the bird population down in a barn. I watched a good size female climb up the sides of a steel indoor arena and go from nest to nest filling herself on eggs. I would much rather have the snake than aisle filled with bird droppings... nasty.

Thanks! Learn something new every day!
(I think it was a big black snake the person was complaining about raiding the chicken coop)