Coaxing a snake

[jolly wattles]

After the snake has been spotted eating an egg and then left, secure your coop so it cannot get back in. 1/2 inch hardware cloth, fill all gaps, etc. Previous poster is correct in saying the snake likely moves elsewhere to digest it's meal. Depending on the size of the snake, they often eat more than one egg at a meal. I've watched them and it IS fascinating. Your hens might be much better layers than you thought! Egg eating snakes will usually take chicks as well, given the chance. Secure that coop!

My late Grandaddy Ray used to put a yard-wide dusting of caliche dust mixed with ground dried hot chili peppers around his hen house to deter all manner of pests and predators. He swore it stopped ants, snakes, scorpions and such. Said they don't like crawling over the powder and the hot pepper dust burns them. I admit that I've never tried it myself. It rains where I live, unlike Grandaddy's west Texas farm.

Give your fraidy wifey a sharpened snake shovel. Keep it near where she sees the snake. If she gets worked up enough at that snake, she might just get it. Good luck!

The coop is secure. It got into the secure run where the ramp is so that's the only side of the coop it can get under. I can block that off too but don't want the stench of a dead snake under the coop.

 

[jp57]

I had a friend whose girlfriend was afraid of snakes. They had a large corn snake that would sun itself on their front step in the morning. It used to scare her when she would leave in the morning. They wanted to kill it. Being the reptile lover I am, I told them to call me if they saw it and I would come and get it. I get the call, go retrieve the snake and drop it off miles from their house. After that, every time I was there they were complaining about finding mice everywhere. I told them they should have let the snake be.

 

[jolly wattles]

I had a friend whose girlfriend was afraid of snakes. They had a large corn snake that would sun itself on their front step in the morning. It used to scare her when she would leave in the morning. They wanted to kill it. Being the reptile lover I am, I told them to call me if they saw it and I would come and get it. I get the call, go retrieve the snake and drop it off miles from their house. After that, every time I was there they were complaining about finding mice everywhere. I told them they should have let the snake be.

She doesn't care about the other snakes the periodically show up. And we don't have a mice problem. She just doesn't want one living under the coop. She would freak if it came slithering out and cross her feet. BTW I've already killed a copperhead hanging around the run.

 

[Chickassan]

If it's a black snake try and let it be especially due to the copperhead being spotted. Black snakes eat poisonous snakes. Might be a selling point to your wifey, made me leave the one around here alone, even this year when it decided to have an adult snake party on my porch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know any way to lure it out when you are around, they are really cautious. I'll leave it up to you to do what you will with that snake, that's your business. I leave them alone unless they are eating eggs or chicks, then if I can I catch them I relocate to a friend's place. She has seen a timber rattler and wants non-poisonous snakes around, preferably big non-poisonous snakes, to give the rattlers some competition. If I can't catch it I will dispatch it.

Is there a way you can set up so your wife can block the way back under the coop when she sees it out? Maybe just leave a fairly small exit hole and have a way for her to block that.

One trap that might work is a minnow trap. You need to get one with really small mesh wire as they can get through some really small holes. Maybe bait it with an egg. It's not that unusual to find a water snake trapped in a minnow trap. Your hens will be too large to get inside the trap.

I've heard of wadding up or folding bird netting or deer netting so the snake gets tangled up in that. Supposedly the scales get caught. You might try something like that.

 

[jolly wattles]

If it's a black snake try and let it be especially due to the copperhead being spotted. Black snakes eat poisonous snakes. Might be a selling point to your wifey, made me leave the one around here alone, even this year when it decided to have an adult snake party on my porch. View attachment 1042154

Again I understand the whole balance of nature thing. I'm an avid hunter and country boy. Was just wanting ideas on how to remove this one snake under the coop so I can seal it up without trapping the snake under the coop to die.

 

[jolly wattles]

I don't know any way to lure it out when you are around, they are really cautious. I'll leave it up to you to do what you will with that snake, that's your business. I leave them alone unless they are eating eggs or chicks, then if I can I catch them I relocate to a friend's place. She has seen a timber rattler and wants non-poisonous snakes around, preferably big non-poisonous snakes, to give the rattlers some competition. If I can't catch it I will dispatch it.

Is there a way you can set up so your wife can block the way back under the coop when she sees it out? Maybe just leave a fairly small exit hole and have a way for her to block that.

One trap that might work is a minnow trap. You need to get one with really small mesh wire as they can get through some really small holes. Maybe bait it with an egg. It's not that unusual to find a water snake trapped in a minnow trap. Your hens will be too large to get inside the trap.

I've heard of wadding up or folding bird netting or deer netting so the snake gets tangled up in that. Supposedly the scales get caught. You might try something like that.

Good ideas. Thanks!

 

[jp57]

I had a black snake stuck in my garage once. It was always peeking out of the same spot but would retreat if I got near to it. Since their head is wider than their neck, I rigged up a slip knot on a long piece of string. I opened the noose so it was in the area where the snake was sticking out. I waited for him to start coming out and then tightened the noose around his neck so the string would prevent him from going backwards. It took a couple of tries, but I was able to get him out that way.

 

[Chickassan]

You could run it out with paper towels soaked in ammonia or perfume of some kind. Snakes don't like funky scents.

 

[jolly wattles]

You could run it out with paper towels soaked in ammonia or perfume of some kind. Snakes don't like funky scents.

I actually thought about that but didn't want strong scents around the chickens. Especially ammonia if it took him awhile to come out.