Broody hen and rat snake

[kelly ryan]

I have a hen who just went broody yesterday but I also have a black rat snake who keeps getting in the nesting boxes. Will he disturb her or can I move her to a smaller coop.

 

[Chaos18]

If she's sitting on eggs the snake could eat the eggs. Is there anyway that you can keep the snake out? If not I would move the broody to a different coop that the snake can't get into.

 

[sumi]

What @Chaos18 said, or if possible, catch and relocate the snake. Having it around the coop is not good, even if it doesn't harm your birds, it will be causing them stress and it will wreak havoc with your broody trying to hatch chicks. A chicken coop is not a good place for a snake of any species.

 

[kelly ryan]

If she's sitting on eggs the snake could eat the eggs. Is there anyway that you can keep the snake out? If not I would move the broody to a different coop that the snake can't get into.

No the snake gets in every 5-7 days after he is "relocated" to the other side of the property. If he didn't keep the copperheads away it would be a different story! I think I will move her to a smaller coop to be safe!

 

[sumi]

Ooohwhee, o.k. the copperheads certainly put a different spin on things! The lesser of two evils I think it can stay, but keeping him out of the coop somehow would be ideal… Have you figured out how and where it's getting access?

I've read on another forum that moth balls are good deterrents for snakes and if I recall member @Beekissed had some good snake repellent tips.

 

[kelly ryan]

Ooohwhee, o.k. the copperheads certainly put a different spin on things! The lesser of two evils I think it can stay, but keeping him out of the coop somehow would be ideal… Have you figured out how and where it's getting access?

I've read on another forum that moth balls are good deterrents for snakes and if I recall member @Beekissed had some good snake repellent tips.

We have watched it come in! It goes up the outside wire to where the gables meet the walls and crawls all the way back to the hen house in a space that is about 1". Impossible to block it all off. I may try putting moth balls up there and see if it works! Thanks!

 

[sumi]

That snake is fair determined! Hopefully the moth balls will help. Just make sure you keep it out of reach of any other critters, like your dogs, cats, etc, as I'm sure you would!

 

[aart]

We have watched it come in! It goes up the outside wire to where the gables meet the walls and crawls all the way back to the hen house in a space that is about 1". Impossible to block it all off. I may try putting moth balls up there and see if it works! Thanks!

Can you cover that gap with 1/2" hardware cloth?

 

[bobbieschicks]

Having just lost five new chicks under a broody to a hungry black rat snake over the course of the past two weeks I can understand what you're worried about.

When they were inside the dog crate covered in deer netting, so the chicks couldn't slip through the wire, they were fine. As soon as momma had them out in the coop and run they started disappearing. The snake got in through the back of the roof where it had separated and created a gap.

I put the crate back in the coop while I've been replacing the roof and the four remaining babies were fine. Until last night when I decided it was raining and lightening too hard to go outdoors and left them loose in the coop under the broody with the rafters not wired shut. Big mistake. I got the rafters wired shut with 1/4" hardware cloth and hopefully no more snakes coming to visit.

Found the black rat snake in the morning with two large lumps in its belly laying just outside the run gate. I was so angry with it for eating my chicks that I killed it. Tonight the two remaining chicks and broody tried to sleep in the nest boxes but I moved them back to the crate. Not taking any chances.

This is the first time I've had issues with a snake eating my chicks. We've coexisted in the past, but this snake was determined to eat all my chicks. And I'm determined to not let it.

 

[centrarchid]

You expect some protective services from the black rat snake. So pay it. Set aside some eggs specfically for the snake and leave them for her. That said, well fed she will be less effective for the service you want of her.

I beat my rat snake by having hens lay eggs in 55-gallon barrels the snake cannot get into.