Egg gathering danger

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Quote:
I wanted to take it somewhere else. But, DH seems to be more afraid of them then me. I just don't like the venomous ones. That was snake #3 I have found/saw/caught since we moved onto the property 14 months ago.

Oh, I know you weren't talking to me...lol I was just commenting on the copperhead note.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Y'know cat, that did cross my mind. Then feeding to the chickens crossed my mind. Then hanging on the fence---because there is an Ol' Texas superstition that a snake on the fence will bring rain.
[URL]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92697_snake_on_fence.jpg[/URL]

Man I hope your right on the rain. I'm going snake hunting we need rain.It would make a good hat band. Nevermind leave it on the fence we need some water.

 

[Noymira]

I'm glad we don't have those here!

 

[flowergirl60]

Quote:
Y'know cat, that did cross my mind. Then feeding to the chickens crossed my mind. Then hanging on the fence---because there is an Ol' Texas superstition that a snake on the fence will bring rain.
[URL]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92697_snake_on_fence.jpg[/URL]

C'mon you dirty ole' rattlesnake bring us some rain.

 

[53convert]

yeah on being careful.
Now I got snakes everyso often around my coop and run.....Black snakes, rat snakes and milk snakes.
I just run em off..........You can tell when a snake is around cause the girls are acting different.
On summer afternoon I noticed all the girls on the pourch leading to their coop just standing and looking in the door. All of them and making such a fuss.
Well I figure its a snake (it was) so I put on my heavy leather welding gloves and spot the offending creature inside the coop in a corner under the dropping board.
I just reach under and grab and yank........and realized it had a diamond pattern on it........Slung it as hard as I could out the door.......scared the pee waddle outa me.

Second snake encounter was a copper head that was out during the early fall evening. I had just came around the side of the coop and activated the security light. Snake struck once,
I shot twice......( yeah I carry a ,45 on the hip out at the ranch....just in case.)

 

[dufus]

killed another chicken snake in my laying house today. i was in the yard, and heard a hen making a funny sounding fuss. i slipped in there, and there he was. i got the pistol, and shot him, as i have 4 6 week old peeps, and he would wipe them out, snakes already have gotten two in the last month. i've had a plague of chicken snakes this year, that was #7 in there. a CCI .22 shot shell works wonders on them, i keep a loaded ruger bearcat in a shed, right by my chicken coop.

 

[mdbokc]

Was watching an exterminator on the Discovery Channel recently. They said that when one sprays down a garlic scented mixture monthly, snakes will become very rare, if in fact, they come around at all. The garlic odor totally disrupts their sense of smell and they turn away rather than cross it and come in. I have used a commercial liquid snake repellent and have not seen anything since using it. Did find an occasional snake in the rafters prior to that. Garlic extract is one of the ingredients in the commercial spray.

 

[TroutsChicks]

People here say here's TONS of snakes here, haven't seen the first one. But I always keep an eye out for them. Y'all have had some serious snake problems . We had some coons but.... They moved away

thank you for postin this thread about the snake b/c I didn't talk to the du about it and now he wants me to fry one when we get it! LoL

 

[ChicKat]

Thanks for the insights and stories everyone.....

mdboxc-- Garlic -- I'm going to try that one for sure
Troutschicks -- we do have a minnow trap hanging around not being used. Do you think a fake egg would work? I'd rather have any snake there than in the nest!
moxies -- I see those snakes and I'm going 'red touch black a friend to Jack, red touch yellow -- kill a fellow'---- I'd rather have a rattler because at least they warn you. Or I'd rather have no poisonous and no chicken eating/egg eating varieties.

it would have made a nice hat band or belt--- either the diamond back or the copperhead

My fellow Texans--- believe it or not--- clouds came up--the sky got dark---and it did rain--- about 5-miles away. I guess I should say sprinkled, because it wasn't agriculturally significant. I even saw a rainbow that night. It didn't rain on us though. It has to rain soon, I hope and pray!! My mother-in-law said the snake should go belly up on the fence. (this snake actually kind of squirmed off--- even after being shot in the head, having the rattle removed and having the head severed---still moving) ugh! Next time tie it on the fence and do a rain dance I guess....

7L - I know that brands are registered in counties. I go past a ranch on our dirt road that is 7L -- (DeWitt county) I should send you a picture of their ranch gate, because at first I thougt it was you.

I never knew til this that there was such an interest in eating s n a k e s.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

That one I had never seen before. Southern Copperhead. There's alot of plants, animals in SC I am not familiar with. I already let 2 pass on by, because I could identify them.
I lived in TX for a little bit, long enough to get acquainted with the scorpions. Didn't see any snakes though. And, when I lived in the Caribbean, we had the coral snakes, black sea urchins, sharks, and barracudas to keep an eye our for. Missouri Ozarks had their own wildlife also, and I lived there for a while. Also, I lived on the Gulf Of Mexico for 15 years. Didn't see much of anything there except horseshoe crabs.
It is just a matter of learning the local flora and fauna. If it is harmless.....it can go. If it is venomous, I need to know where it is.