Homeowner moved a 6-foot yellow rat snake 12 miles away, and it still turned up at their chicken coop

A backyard chicken keeper's battle of wills with a 6-foot yellow rat snake is drawing plenty of attention online after the reptile kept returning for eggs — even after being moved farther and farther away.

What happened?

In a post on r/snakes on Reddit, the homeowner wrote: "The first time I caught this yellow rat snake I took it about half a mile away. It came back. The second time I took it 2 miles away. Found it again this morning in my chicken coop for the third time."

Also included in the post was a photo of the sizable yellow rat snake being handled calmly near the poster's dog.

Explaining why they kept relocating it, the homeowner wrote, "When they get in my chicken coop and eat the eggs, they have to go," and added, "This time I'm going to take it about 15 miles."

The poster later said the first two relocations happened in July 2025 and September 2025, followed by a third move on March 1, 2026, to a Florida preserve about 12 miles away. They also said they had made a deal with their daughter that if the snake came back a fourth time, it could stay.

Why does it matter?

A chicken coop full of eggs can amount to a standing buffet, especially in places where people have expanded into or alongside native habitat.

Rat snakes are generally nonvenomous and can provide valuable pest control by eating rodents, which is one reason many people look for ways to coexist with them rather than kill or relocate them.

Commenters suggested that improving the coop itself may be the better long-term answer. They also warned that relocating snakes too far from their familiar territory can be dangerous, leaving them stressed and more vulnerable.

What are people saying?

Commenters were quick to praise the homeowner for not taking a harsher approach.

One wrote, "99 of 100 people would kill that snake, commend this brother for his efforts."

A separate set of replies focused less on moving the animal and more on prevention.

One commenter said, "snakes dont have homing beacons, they have a home range and relocating too far is often a death sentence," while another suggested: "snake-proof the coop with smaller hardware cloth instead."

Some readers were also ready to declare the standoff settled for good: "effective natural pest control in return for a couple eggs is a good deal, hes your snake now."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.