snakes in the chicken coop or chicken yard

[farm-a-zootical]

Yes, the joke was on us. We had everything built before we realized the cost! Had no choice, however, with our wide range of predators. Even saw a hawk trying to get in, to no avail. We took the few pieces we had left and put them around the bottom of our outbuilding to keep out the sneaky copperheads. DH has a real fear of them, he almost lost his dad to a copperhead bite so we view them a little differently than some.

 

[TJordan]

Yes, the joke was on us.  We had everything built before we realized the cost!  Had no choice, however, with our wide range of predators.  Even saw a hawk trying to get in, to no avail.  We took the few pieces we had left and put them around the bottom of our outbuilding to keep out the sneaky copperheads.  DH has a real fear of them, he almost lost his dad to a copperhead bite so we view them a little differently than some. 

Oh I know... I don't fear them but I've been dry popped by a Colton mouth when I was a kid... Thank God it was just a dry hit....

 

[farm-a-zootical]

Ouch! Yes, we are phobic, LOL. Not to the extreme, but DH says he feels much better if he doesn't have to worry about them being anyplace that he can't see them. Also, had a friend bitten by a sneaky one as she went down her back stairs and a relative bitten as she was getting back on her ATV. He tries to give them 'no where to hide' close to the house.

 

[TJordan]

Ouch!  Yes, we are phobic, LOL.  Not to the extreme, but DH says he feels much better if he doesn't have to worry about them being anyplace that he can't see them.  Also, had a friend bitten by a sneaky one as she went down her back stairs and a relative bitten as she was getting back on her ATV.  He tries to give them 'no where to hide' close to the house.

Sounds like my husbands plan for this fall... Right now he fears that if he starts clearing the area that he will find one the hard way.. So waiting for leaves to fall, snakes to go to ground and then... A clean sweep of every bush, shrub, junk, wood, bricks everything... Then putting a ground deference down for the spring... Trying to figure out if AG (agricultural) lime will hurt snakes while still being safe around kids and animals... DO NOT USE HYDRATED LIME NEAR KIDS OR ANIMALS!!! It will burn them if it gets wet..

 

[farm-a-zootical]

Yes, August is the worst for us and Copperheads. Had two spaniels bitten in August by one hiding under their house. We burned a lot of brush here when we built. I understand completely!

 

[Meytchison]

You don't say where you live, but it sounds like maybe in the western US someplace (national forest, coyotes, etc). If that's true the only dangerous snakes around are rattlesnakes. And they are certainly something to be worried about around the homestead. I don't think the chickens will attract snakes but mice will. So you need to be very careful not to do anything that will attract mice. The main thing is to not leave feed, like chicken scratch, open where they can get into it. Keep it in a good metal trashcan with a well fitting lid. And if any mice do show up, set traps and get rid of them. Also, don't let junk pile up. That provides hiding places for snakes, mice, skunks, and other vermin.

I know you have a snake phobia, and it probably doesn't do any good to tell you that most snakes are actually beneficial. The bull snake (AKA gopher snake) is especially good to have around because they eat mice and supposedly discourage rattlesnakes. Some people think they kill rattlesnakes. I think they probably out hunt them, and the rattlers can't compete.

Snakes and other varmints are a fact of life out in the country. Even if you don't have chickens, you may have snakes come around. If you do find a rattler around the place the best thing to do is to load a bird shot cartridge in your .22 rifle and shoot him right in the face, with the muzzle of the rifle a foot or so away from his head. This is very effective, and much safer than shooting a bullet at him, which can ricochet off and hit something else.

I live in Florida and we have National Forests and Coyotes. Its not just a western thing. We have a wide variety of snakes here but I think snakes would be the least of my worries.

 

[TJordan]

I live in Florida and we have National Forests and Coyotes. Its not just a western thing. We have a wide variety of snakes here but I think snakes would be the least of my worries.

I live in lower Alabama... So yep.. SNAKES EVERYWHERE.

 

[farm-a-zootical]

By phobic, I mean we are VERY cautious not to give them an advantage, keep the woodpile away from the house, etc, because of the grandkids that live next door. Agree about the mice. We have two great mousers that adopted us. We have awesome plastic drums for feed storage. Love our set up! Snakes aren't our major predators, but they are not invited to parties, either

 

[DrDean]

We are having a lot of snakes this year. I shot a copperhead in the head in July. Then we had a water moccasin eating eggs by the henhouse a few weeks later - it got away. We are constantly having rat snakes (at least 3 different ones) eating the eggs - where we get almost no eggs now. We were getting up to 15 eggs a day in the spring, and now we only get 1 to 3 day and none some days. I see a rat snake at least a couple of times a week in or by the hen house. One was close to 5 feet long and they are excellent climbers. I do not want to kill the rat snakes, but I also want eggs.

 

[TJordan]

We are having a lot of snakes this year.  I shot a copperhead in the head in July.  Then we had a water moccasin eating eggs by the henhouse a few weeks later - it got away.  We are constantly having rat snakes (at least 3 different ones) eating the eggs - where we get almost no eggs now.  We were getting up to 15 eggs a day in the spring, and now we only get 1 to 3 day and none some days.  I see a rat snake at least a couple of times a week in or by the hen house.  One was close to 5 feet long and they are excellent climbers.  I do not want to kill the rat snakes, but I also want eggs.

Don't lol at this but... Take a few pair of panty hose and cut them into tubes.....tie one side and add a few moth balls.... Hang them around the coop and fence area... This will deture snakes of all kinds... A line of lime around the OUTSIDE of your yard will keep them out as well but KEEP AWAY FROM ALL PETS, KIDS AND YOURSELF.... will burn when wet... That's why I prefer the moth balls in the hose....