black snakes

[beepbeepinajeep]

My english game hen just alerted me to a black snake. I sent him moving & I have always liked black snakes in the past.... Do I have to worry about him eating my birds?

 

[CityChicker]

Yeah, I would worry. I had a run in one time with a huge black snake. I don't know what it was for sure though. It might have been a black rat snake. It was huge, about 6-7 feet long.

I had been experiencing losses of eggs here and there in my exotic bird room. I thought I just had some pairs of egg eaters. All of the birds were in raised flight cages about four feet off the ground and made of 1x2 wire.

I had been out there cleaning one day for a few hours. When I got to the floors, I flung a bucket of soapy disinfectant water on the floor and out comes this huge snake right at me! I nearly had a heart attack. It was probably laying there the whole time right at my feet and I couldn't see it because of the cage trays. I am sure now that it is what was eating my eggs.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

So I should have killed it? Is there a way to make the coop safe?

 

[Big Chicken Little]

Snakes do not like mothballs ...put some around outside where the chicks can not get to them. Try and keep the rodent population down. The snake would normally do that for you but it might be attracted to your chicks. Pick up eggs daily. Good luck, hope this helps.

 

[enola]

He is going to eat a lot of mice if you leave him alone.

I used to have a commercial rabbitry, I am going to guess 150 or more cages of does, bucks and bunnies headed to the meat market. I had a black snake that lived in my rafters, he kept the mice to a minimum and never once at a bunny.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

That makes me feel better. I haven't seen a field mouse ever here & with so much land around I am surprised. I know we have black snakes, corn snakes, and copperheads. I'd sure rather have a black snake up close to the house, but I also didn't like the thought of him eating my chicks/eggs.

How far away do I put the mothballs? How many do I use? Will they also discourage other predators?

 

[Big Chicken Little]

Quote:
Just sprinkle it around the coop and under if the chicks can't get to it... if that is possible. I like the balls better than the flakes because I can see them and know when to add more.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

I will try that then Thanks!

Where in NC are you located, btw?

 

[cw]

depending on the snake he may keep your venomous snakes at bay, i wouldnt want him in the coop but i sure wouldnt want to kill em

 

[oldenglishman]

hello all. i have tried mothballs and i can say from first hand they didn't work for me. I just had a lemon blue Old english hatch 13 dibbies. i have 2 left now black snake ate the rest. a big black snake will even eat small hens and rosters such as bantams. my friend had a game hen just about ready to hatch. he found her the next day in her pen her head and neck was still wet and slimmy where a hguge black had killed and tried to eat her but could only get to her body and spit her back out. but it still got all the eggs she was getting ready to hatch. i my self will never let a black snake go that i find around my chickens now that just from my past experinces in dealing with them , plus alot of my friends that have and raise chicken have had alot of trouble with black snakes this year so far. thanks