Garter snakes

Quote form Wikipedia:

Diet
Garter snakes, like all snakes, are carnivorous. Their diet consists of almost any creature that they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms, insects, leeches, lizards, spiders, amphibians, birds, fish, toads and rodents. When living near the water, they will eat other aquatic animals. The ribbon snake in particular favors frogs (including tadpoles), readily eating them despite their strong chemical defenses. Food is swallowed whole. Garter snakes often adapt to eat whatever they can find. Although they dine mostly upon live animals, they will sometimes eat eggs.

So to be on the safe side I would get "rid" of it.  Of course I can't STAND snakes

Good Luck!

I have snakes all over my yard i just saw a 4 or 5 foot ratsnake right by my coop. He never went in although all he would have to do is go straight trhough the wire its got big gaps lol but they keep the rats down

Garter snakes are small. Too small to be danger to chickens or eggs. The chickens will probably eat the garter snakes.

I wouldn't worry about the garter snake. Your chicks will be safe from it. Once they are bigger the chicks will kill the garter snake if it gets close to them. And garter snakes DO NOT eat chickens.

Now as far a other, bigger snakes, that is what you should worry about. Are your chicks in a predator proof {snakes} coop. They are still small enough for another snake to get.

My SO and myself are snakes handlers, catchers and have experience in this field. PM me if I can help you with this problem.

BTW, wait until your chickens catch there first snake or mouse. You will turn that cable T.V. off and tune into chicken T.V.

You need to worry more about the poor garter snake.  The chickens will do gruesome things to it if they get a hold of it.  Nothing like a rousing game of chicken "Keep Away" to turn your stomach.

My chickens LOVE finding a garter snake!  OH SO YUMMMY!!!!!

I would remove (no need to kill) the snake from the coop with 4 day old chicks, but would not worry about it around 6-7 wk old chicks.  The latter are big enough to harass it, rather than fall victim to it.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMV 

You need to worry more about the poor garter snake.  The chickens will do gruesome things to it if they get a hold of it.  Nothing like a rousing game of chicken "Keep Away" to turn your stomach.

It's more like a tug-of-war!!