Alabama rattlesnakes

[kandyseh]

As far as I know it was alive when the picture was taken (but not for too much longer)

 

[RHRanch]

So the guineas never get bitten by the snakes?

 

[PeepsCA]

Mine haven't.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Wow! We have quite a copper head problem here in Chambers Co., AL! I have got to get some guineas!

 

[Darkjeweler]

Just cause you have Guineas is no guarantee that they will do this. I have 11 adults that free range and get cooped up at night. Several times I have had large (5'+) king snakes in the coop or in the guinea's nests eatting eggs and the guineas don't do anything. Maybe I have defective guineas or they think the sanke is a garden hose moving on its own.. Or maybe I just need a bigger flock.

 

[PeepsCA]

My Guineas wig out about the garden hoses... which may account for them killing this gopher snake up in my goat pasture a few months back. It was in the 3 1/2-4 foot range.

It's hard to tell from the pic, but the head has a big hole pecked in it and there are various peck and claw wounds on the body. I saw/heard them attacking it but was busy at the time doing a major yardwork/gardening project so I just checked to see if it was a rattle snake (which I would have dispatched myself), and since it wasn't I just left them to it thinking they would just wound the snake and run it off. But it was still up in the pasture in the same spot the next day, dead as dead can be.

I can always tell when my Guineas have found a snake because they raise a complete ruckus that gets my dogs howling and my donkey braying. I've dispatched several rattle snakes that they've alerted me to, and most of them were pretty well mangled by the time I got to them. And each time the Guineas watch and make sure I finish the job, and follow me to the spot I bury the snakes, and double check to see if I buried it to their satisfaction, lol.

And no, there is no guarantee that Guineas will kill snakes, as I mentioned previously it depends on the particular flock and how aggressive/protective they are. This gopher snake was near their coop where the 11 Hens in that flock lay their eggs, so apparently they felt it was a threat and dealt with it.

I have a neighbor down the road that also has a flock of about 50 snake killing Guineas... she has witnessed them decimate many rattle snakes on her land over the years.
Maybe it's a California thing

 

[clcarpen251]

Hmmm... this would explain why my grandparents always had guineas in with their chickens!
I also am in lower Alabama and HATE snakes of any kind. We have a ton of black racers around our area and I'm completely paranoid I am going to find one in the chicken pen!

 

[Back2MyRoots]

I know they are egg eatters, but I have heard king snakes are good to keep poisonous snakes away. I have thought about finding a king snake to try to keep in the yard.

Also, I worry about getting guineas because I have lots of frogs and lizards that I don't want to be guinea chow. One of chickens killed and ate a lizard last week, and it really hurt my feelings. I mean it was just doing what chickens do, but still.