Black Snake entering run

[jhook1997]

We saw our black snake entering our chicken run last week.

He's been living here for many years.....way before we had chickens. He usually stays in our lumber pile then goes in our building when he sheds. Anyway, we heard the chickens squawking

and looked in.....snake on the way! I don't want to kill him (but will if he starts on the eggs!) What I heard was that putting lime around the fence would discourage snakes because the don't want to cross it. Any thoughts or advice about this or other ways to keep out snakes?

 

[BoltonChicken]

If you put 1/2 x 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom 2 feet of your run, then there is no way the snake can get into the chickens

 

[Judy]

You can get a big piece of bird netting in a garden center for a few bucks, lightweight plastic stuff meant to keep birds of things like fruit trees. Roll it loosely and put it around the run. He will get tangled in it.

 

[jhook1997]

Sorry everyone.......I think this is the wrong subject. I'll put it in "predators & pests. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Chemguy]

If the hardware cloth is not something you are going to be able to do soon, you should consider a repellent in the meantime. Commercial products like Snake-A-Way contain a mixture of sulfur and naphthalene. Naphthalene is used in some mothballs; I'm not sure if the other type (p-dichlorobenzene) would have the same effect. Mix 4 parts sulfur to 1 part naphthalene (by weight) and sprinkle around the run. Some rabbit repellents also contain naphthalene mixed with sawdust and blood meal. Maybe that would work, too. Good luck!

 

[wood&feathers]

How small is the mesh on the bird netting? Plastic mesh is a HUGE killer of snakes. I don't know what the current record is, but I have seen dozens of skeletons, rotting remains, and dying snakes trapped in anti erosion netting, used to hold seed on newly sown slopes.