Best way I've found yet to deal with snake problems!!

[Chick15]

Quote:
Why kill the chicks????

 

[harveyhorses]

That is pure genious!
I don't mind snakes all that much (although after pitchforking a nest of baby copperheads into the back of our pickup, I am MUCH more jumpy) we have a beautiful black racer, she just shimmers, almost irredecent purply color, but after finding a rat snake with a couple of egg shaped lumps, I have a zero tolerance for the run. No, I say that, but I really do not think I could kill racer. Feel free to study copperheads all you want but my family has lost two dogs, a cat and had two very sick horses, they will be dispatched.
Now I need to find out if I really want to know what's out there!

 

[Sissy]

Mahonri. Wow is right I have been lucky
I have not seen a snake around here.
but I do leave a golf ball in each coop if its gone
I know there is one dead snake some where.
so far so good.
Snakes can not digest it.
Neighbor
told me about that death trap.

 

[bandbaustin]

wish I could get a snake or two to move in to help with the mouse problem

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Quote:
I just place them on the ground next to the wall, scoop out a small depression so the entrance is close to the ground level, I gather eggs daily except those under a broody hen, Last year I lost two nests full of eggs a hen was setting on to a couple of rat snakes I put plastic easter eggs in all my nest boxes and that worked, I was able to catch both of those snakes that way, My broody hen wouldn't quit the nest so I put some day 20 eggs from my incubator under her she was happy Mama the next day LOL,

Edited to say I have two of these inside my main coop and one along the wall outside, and most of the snakes have been caught inside the coop and about 3 feet away from two hens with chicks that sleep in the back corners of the coop.

 

[zazouse]

Well what a great 2nd use of a minnow trap.

Pretty and healthy looking snakes also.

 

[redhen]

I didnt know that copper heads eat eggs?? Is that how you caught them, with the eggs as bait??

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Quote:
No the copperheads don't eat eggs I put them in to catch the rat snakes that do though, the copperheads were going in by chance probably on their way to make a meal of my chicks that aren't far from where I set the traps, the way I have them set I probably don't need to bait them but I have plenty of eggs and figured it couldn't hurt LOL

 

[redstarray]

did you say you can buy the trap at walmart???and its a minnow trap??? to put it in the coop? dont chikens kill snakes??? well i think ur idea is awseom we have santafe rattlers out here and that would come in handy did you use antifreese to cure the snake skin you made the band out of i have the rattler we killed in the freeze but havent done anything cus the recipe for curing it says to use antifreeze wich makes me nervous for my dogs and chikens

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Quote:
I use a tanning kit from Tandy Leather a store in the city, I tried the antifreeze once and the skin came out a translucient greenish color I might have done something wrong though LOL The tanning solutions I'm sure can be found online made just for that.