Any Help on getting rid of snakes??? UGH

[Bengalcats1]

Does anyone have any ideas what deters snakes? I have so many on my property they are freaking me out and Im worried about my chicks....they Love it here

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

There are repellent products on the market, but I would not bother. They are based on the idea that a snake cannot smell chickens if there is something stinky between the snake and the chicken. This is pointless if the snakes already know you have chickens.

A local codger has a 410 shotgun called a snake charmer, but that is really not effective unless somebody is there to see the snake and shoot it.

I had some success with ceramic bait eggs. A snake with a ceramic egg in it looks pretty silly and if you don't help it out, it may die of embarrassment.

The previously mentioned codger also surrounds his coop with deer netting. He got a 7' x 100' roll at Home Depot and arranged it in spirals like prison camp concertina wire all around the chicken run. He said he regularly finds 5' snakes stuck in it.

 

[RMDelete]

I am not sure about detering snakes but you could try to distract them somehow.. maybe place a token mouse somewhere away from your baby chicks and maybe hope they will try and go figure out how to eat that mouse instead? As far as I know, snakes love cozy places and don't mind getting wet

maybe also surround your baby chick area with a very fine mesh wire? geez... snakes are kinda tough I think...

 

[Bengalcats1]

Ive tried that snake repellent powder but don't think it helped at all, was going to put moth balls around but not sure that would help either (they would be where chickens can't get to )...they just scare me half to death when I come across one

 

[bryan99705]

Is the coop snakeproof? If it's one on one in the yard, at least the birds have a chance to run but they're at a easy target at night. Do you have a protective roo? Have you witnessed his reaction to snakes? Is mixing in some snake eating guinneas with your chickens an option?

 

[Bengalcats1]

I have thought of getting some guinea hens if I can stand the noise and I would have liked to get babies so they know where they live, but would like to see the snakes bye bye before that. I know they are also a good hawk alert so I wanted them for that also. The coop is pretty secure and I havent seen snakes go after the babies yet but Im thinking ahead

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

I haven't found a way to deter them really but I did find a easy way to trap them I made a thread about it here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=515899 I just caught my 5th copperhead this morning so makes seven snakes in the last couple weeks, maybe that will help, Good Luck

 

[Bengalcats1]

Quote:
Wow that seems like a great way to catch them, of course then I'd freak out with a snake in a trap and what to do with it, I did get some ideas from your thread tho

 

[bryan99705]

There was a post a week or so ago about using minnow traps for snakes. He baited with a egg and was catching multiple snakes in each trap.

 

[brownegger]

First, I just want to say that I'm not fixated on snake problems but, I do think that many are killed that aren't a problem and never would have been unlike many other predators you may encounter!
As far as your snake "problem" is concerned. I would definitely try to identify the snakes you are seeing around your property. You may find that what you are seeing commonly are not a threat to your chickens at all! Just a thought!

Also... The thought that a snake "already knows you have chickens" is ridiculous! Snakes do not remember per say that a food source is available. They smell they, they seek, they eat, end of story.
Thoughts on trapping the copperheads...... Copperheads are not and have not been a threat to my chickens EVER! They are nearly exclusive night hunters and you will find them occasionally basking during the daytime but not generally foraging for a meal. While they are hunting (at night) your chicks should be safely in a protected coop.

Good luck on your quest for information and I certainly hope that you do not ever have any problems with your resident snakes!