King snake/corn snake +chicken eggs?

Pyrelitha

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
589
I have chickens, and I have 3, 5 year old corn snakes, 3 somewhere in the 4ft length females, and a male thats larger than all of them but not by a much, and at 6 years old. Alongside a 7 year old 4ft Desert Kingsnake. Can I feed them my chickens eggs? they're large enough and I've heard they like quail eggs.
 

Pyrelitha

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
589
You say please don't like I said I was going to, I came here for an answer you've not really provided a reason not to. I've found wild king snakes, and garter snakes stealing my chicken eggs before. Why are mice specifically best? Do king snakes not hunt rodents, snakes, lizards, eggs etc? Why is mice best?
 

Jurdon

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
178
I don’t see why eggs couldn’t be offered.. OP wasn’t suggesting them as a staple diet, and god knows they eat them in the wild. If anything it would offer some variety, and be quite an enriching experience for the snake
 

Mordax8393

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
159
Sorry for the confusion. Eggs occasionally is alright, just there are a few concerns with feeding them:
- The snake might not know how to eat it
- The snake might get hurt by the shell
- The high fat content is unhealthy for many snakes, especially colubrids such as kings and corns

So you can try, but I personally wouldn't. Mice are healthier in every way and handling is better enrichment.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
Sorry @Mordax8393 total crap Lol.

Ever see a water snake with the spines of a hornpout sticking out the side of them.. Used to see it all the time as a kid.. Or for example the pic of an african rock python with a gizzelle horn sticking through it's stomach. As the snake digested the prey item and the horn became detached from the skull and being outside the body eventually it fell out. Snake healed fine . Snakes mouths, throat and intestinal linings are surprisingly tough and snakes in general are resilient.. An eggshell isn't going to hurt it at all.. If it can't swallow it it will stop trying after awhile.. As for the fat concern it "may" become an issue if only fed eggs but on the flip side rat snakes explore alot and have an extremely fast metabolism.. Tokay geckos are the only reptile that poops more often.. They are disgusting living gems Lol. I imagine that ratsnakes can process a good amount of eggs before running into any health issues

Op

The eggs are fine and infact they LOVE fresh chicken eggs and generally refuse store bought (they get washed and lose alot of scent)..

It's a good boost of calcium from the eggs and provides both enrichment and it helps to balance their diet..

I no longer keep monitors and have only one snake that I have decided to keep but for 23 years I have fed eggs in moderation to ratsnakes and monitors with zero ill effects.. Just make sure they are room temp, never feed cold eggs or cold F/T rats to any reptile as it can drastically decrease it's core temp..
 

Mordax8393

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
159
@14pokies Thanks for the response. Good facts, mostly. Of course, we try to shelter our snakes in captivity, just because they can survive harsh meals doesn't mean we should give it to them. I am personally happy with feeding mine mice (granted I have no rat snakes or others that eat eggs in the wild). If your snake eats eggs happily though, it's ok.

I don't know about ratsnakes but I have heard stories of kingsnakes getting fat off of eggs. I mean, they're fatty enough that Gila monsters need a specialized toxin in their venom to break down the fats and sugars in their egg-rich diet. But if you excercise your snake I guess they'll be fine.

I don't think they need extra calcium - rodent bones contain plenty - but I don't think the eggs have enough to have a negative impact.

Oh, and eggs are great for monitors and tegus, 100% agree. If I had one it would get eggs a lot.

The reason I keep arguing anti egg is because a lot of people don't like to feed rodents. I don't want them to get the wrong idea, that eggs are an acceptable substitute. Because eggs are a good treat but not at all a viable staple.
 
Last edited:

Dandrobates

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
180
My only concern would be cross contamination. Chickens are (sorry) kind of messy and there are high instances of salmonella among backyard chickens. This is not to say that your snakes would suffer I’ll effects per se but you may inadvertently expose yourself. Other than that I see no problems with an occasional egg.
 
Top