Can a snake

[Tavia Rose]

If you want to try to keep snakes out, cut a v in some 2 gallon water bottles, put in about a quarter full of water, moth balls, lavender essential oil, clove essential oil, and some eucalyptus, then put the tops back on. We usually have a yard full of snakes every summer;all kinds. But, after putting those bottles around my coop and around our yard we only had small baby snakes that were hiding in piles of leaves. I was sure we would get a few big ones but, none made it to our coop or inside the yard.

 

[Wise Woman]

Where is "the enchanted forest"? You may not have snakes that climb in your locale, so you wouldn't need to be concerned. I have plenty of rattlesnakes where I live, and they are the only ones I need to be worried about. If you tell me where you are, I can tell you what snakes you have there that you would need to deal with.[/QUOTE

I am in the mountains in southern California above Palm Springs.

Parront, we never let them free range. We have hawks as well as owls and all sorts of other predators as well. We have not had a problem yet, knock on wood, but since we are building a new coop and run, I want to make it as predator proof as possible.

I may have to consider electric fencing, but want to do as much as I can with regular fencing first.

EggWalrus, you are killing me. I would have died! You got your eggs back, oh my. I would have just run screaming! I hate snakes so much.

 

[Parront]

We are from palm desert, not too far down the Hwy from you. It is a difficult thing to keep all the predators out! They are hungry, and they have all night to try to get your chickens! I ended up pouring concrete for a floor in my Riverside county coup, trying to keep things from digging in! Then I still installed the electric wire, I could not cement the floor of the whole run!

 

[Parront]

Snakes need cover to live, so I would be depriving them of all housing. No wood piles, rock piles, brush or low bushes. No parked cars that never move outside. Go on a hunt, think like a snake. They want shade in the heat of the day, warm pavement or rocks after sunset. If they do not have nice nearby homes, they might not hang out waiting for dinner!

 

[azygous]

Ah, yes, California montane. I have family in your neck of the woods, so to speak. I grew up there. You have no shortage of snakes. Lots of rattlesnakes and some real cantankerous ones, too. Gopher and bull snakes are excellent climbers, and if there are prey in your run, they will try to find a way in, over or under or through the front door.

The best way to prevent snake visitors is to be very fastidious about depriving them of prey. You will run into a snake on occasion. It's the law of averages since you live in a place with a lot of cover and an inviting terrain for them. But even still, you will probably only encounter one every ten years. Unless you get lax about your rodent control efforts.

But with the hardware cloth, the snakes will probably only be looking at you from outside your run.

 

[Wise Woman]

Thank you azygous. We do have plenty of snakes and we do try to be sure we do not have a snake friendly yard, but it is nearly impossible to make sure one never comes around. Especially with so many part time neighbors who do not do their abatement or keep their yards tidy or care if they have a snake habitat going on. On my block we have 5 house and 3 are empty most of the time. I guess all we can do is secure the run as best we can and continue on with our rodent control and keeping our yard clean and hope for the best.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

This Mamba Yellow Rat Snake got into the wood hutch portion of the Hen Habitat.
It entered thru a hole around 1 inch around. When it feasted on the eggs, It got stuck in the hole on the way out because of the full belly. Making it easy to catch this harmless critter.

He was a little upset to be handled after his giant portion of Java eggs.

 

[Wise Woman]

Oh my gosh, Farmer Connie! I would have died on the spot had I seen that snake in my coop. AAACCCKKK!!!! Did I mention that I HATE snakes? And I am deathly afraid of them. Oh my gosh! I cannot believe these pictures. That looks like a very big snake.