grey rat snake, it had a friend

[amenfarm]

We didn't kill the first one that ate 3 chicks-have no Idea how it got into a metal brooder with only vent holes, my husband is going to cover those with hardware cloth-never been a problem for 5+ years. We drove it 20 miles away into an overgrown field. Today, it's friend is in the actually coop, I was 30 mins late opening-it was lying in wait at the threshold of the coop/run door, surged inside and scare me and the chickens. I left it there. I went home for lunch to check...my hens have not be laying in the mornings, and I have several that lay under the run. Well, one crippled hen has been hanging out under the roost. I found her 2 feet away under the roost in a odd position- dead, and the snake's tail stretch from her to the open end of the roost and the rat snake swallowing an egg. 2 questions: 1. I think this is why my hens have not been laying in the am when I go out at 8:30 2. could that snake have killed and already weak hen because she was on a egg it wanted? what's the best way to get it to leave? we are putting moth balls in bags and hanging all around the coop and barn this evening...

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

It could of strangled it thinking it could swallow it but it did not fit. Rat snakes and garter snakes do indeed strangle and constrict prey. And the presence of any predator can hinder laying.
The best way to remove a snake is to kill it. A hoe works very well .If you want to be nice to the snake; you could wrangle it into a large barrel or trash can and tote it down the road and release it; but it may come right back.
They also offer snake away powder but I'm not sure if it's chicken safe.
I don't seem to have as much problems with snakes or rats since I got a cat. She's quite the little predator.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Rodents bring the snakes to your property in the first place. Deal with them and it is very likely that the snake will have to leave to find natural prey.

 

[Rldad1]

I would dispatch it, it will keep coming back. A hoe or a 22 with rat shot is very effective.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Careful talking about hoes. We aren't supposed to discuss politics here. And a good idea that is these days.

 

[amenfarm]

So, I put two golf balls from our nest boxes, under the roost where the snake has been stealing eggs. The golf balls are gone... We are going to put out poison, that's only poison for the first ingestion, snake b gone, and bird netting. Our newest neighbors are clearing and bring up the dogs. Hopefully, the layered approach works.

 

[Cj Tracker]

It could of strangled it thinking it could swallow it but it did not fit. Rat snakes and garter snakes do indeed strangle and constrict prey. And the presence of any predator can hinder laying.
The best way to remove a snake is to kill it. A hoe works very well .If you want to be nice to the snake; you could wrangle it into a large barrel or trash can and tote it down the road and release it; but it may come right back.
They also offer snake away powder but I'm not sure if it's chicken safe.
I don't seem to have as much problems with snakes or rats since I got a cat. She's quite the little predator.

My two indoor outdoor cats also are awesome with my chicks and I love my one kitty who sprays all around the coop. He loves them too! He goes into the run before bed and rubs along the wood too. Maybe you can give a shelter cat a home. I got my boy at 6 years old and he's awesome

 

[TallGirl]

I am posting this as a reply to a few threads in hopes that as many of you can see it as possible. If that is against the rules or a faux pas please remove. I just want to try to help as many of you as I can....

I'm new to posting but not new to the forum. I have spent hours and gained so much insight from so many of you! I joined today in hopes that something that I learned yesterday may help some of y'all like you have helped me!

This is something that I had sort of heard about in passing but until yesterday it didn't really click in my brain. Bird netting, if left loose, will catch snakes and prevent them from getting into the coop!

Last night I went out to check my bunnies and quail and up on top of the coop wrapped around a tree and completely tangled in bird netting was a big ol' (4.5') Texas Rat Snake. It's head was caught in the extra netting that I had kind of bunched up around the tree. I had planned to trim off the excess but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I am so glad I didn't.

After that discovery and after the hour or so it took me to get up the guts to get the snake out of the netting, I started researching. Although, from what I can find, it doesn't appear to be very widely known, for those that do know and use it, swear by its effectiveness. I am going to add my name to that list and I plan to go get more netting to put around the base of my coop tomorrow. The key, from what I understand, is leaving it sort of loose and bunched up so that the snakes scales will catch on it.

Most of the info I found on this that addressed it in a purposeful way (not just a gardener talking about finding a snake caught in it as a random event) was from a forum for people who have the big bird houses up on poles for Martins or Bluebirds. They wrap it loosely up on the pole to prevent the snakes from getting to the eggs and newly hatched chicks.

The netting that I have is the 1/2" netting that is designed to go over fruit trees to protect the fruit from being eaten by the birds. I think I paid $14 for a 15'x20' roll of it.

I hope this helps someone save one of their beautiful flock!