3 snakes in 3 days and now low egg production

[TejasJeff]

Great community and finally joining to gain some knowledge from you gurus. Semi new to raising chickens as we've only had them for a year. I do not know the breeds of 2 of my girls...but one of the 3 is a bantam. EDIT: One is Orpington (my sweetheart!) They free range most of the day during the spring/summer months here in Texas.

Bottom line up front: Chicken/Rat snakes have been plentiful this year. 3 days in a row they've been found in the coop and 3 are now in compost pile. Really do not like killing snakes. Different story though. Since they have infiltrated the coop, my hens are barely laying eggs and not one has laid in the nesting box area since the snake invasion The only egg I'm finding is nearer the roost/water/food...Roost is as secure as I can get. Prior to all this snake mess, I was getting 2 to 3 eggs per day - so one from each hen. Any direction would be much appreciated. I'm down to one egg and me and the kiddos can't eat store bought eggs!!! Yuck.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Use moth balls all around the coop the snakes do not want to cross them might help to know where you live please.. then go back to introductions lot's of help right
heck still Welcome okay go buy mothballs lots of them

 

[TejasJeff]

Use moth balls all around the coop the snakes do not want to cross them might help to know where you live please.. then go back to introductions lot's of help right
heck still Welcome okay go buy mothballs lots of them

Sorry Penny... I assumed folks would get Texas from my TejasJeff name. I'm in central Texas...headed to introduce myself next. And THANK YOU for replying. Buying mothballs next...a coworker suggested snake-away and another said "get used to it"! :-/

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sorry Penny... I assumed folks would get Texas from my TejasJeff name. I'm in central Texas...headed to introduce myself next. And THANK YOU for replying. Buying mothballs next...a coworker suggested snake-away and another said "get used to it"! :-/

next grab you computer after the mothballs go to amazon use hardware cloth bury in the ground about 8 inches then yo up about two rows around of it cover windows even make a screen door of it

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are you sure they slowed down laying or could it be the snakes ate some?
I don't like killing snakes either. I consider them better mousers than barn cats. And they're native.
Usually, snakes are in more danger from the chickens than vice versa.
Maybe you can make access to the coop higher so the chickens have to hop in and less accessible to the snakes. Snakes can climb pretty good though.

 

[TejasJeff]

Penny - thank you. Hardware clothe duly noted and been eyeing it at the feed store. I need to make it happen.

Chicken Canoe - thank you. I believe it may be both. I didn't have access to golf balls but had access to river rock that looked like an egg. It's gone. I didn't beleive it was really gone until I cleaned all the pine shaving out. I finally got a golf ball and it's been in there for a few days now. I'll check again when I get home.

Thanks again to both of you.

 

[pennyJo1960]

MOTH BALLS not golf

 

[TejasJeff]

MOTH BALLS not golf

I hear you Penny. I mis-typed...Mothballs to keep snakes away and golf balls to trick my hens into laying!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Three birds and three days is much too small of a sample size to look at snakes as a cause. It could simply be a coincidence.
Snakes are out there all the time, you just don't always see them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

he has seen the snakes tho so needs to act now like I said you would need to go to
another thread he piped in how many eggs today told me of this one so came here to hold it out of the other one