Garden Snakes found in coop! Help?!

[TenderLemon103]

I went outside to do some rearranging as I just recently set up my coop and my girls aren't old enough yet to lay but it won't be long before they are, so I just started adding the nesting boxes. Well I move one of the new nesting boxes and I find a mommy garden snake and a few very young ones with her and she was furious I had trouble trying not to get bit but I was able to get them all out but how do I prevent this? How do I keep them from coming back or any other homing in my coop again?

 

[Elyrian1]

I know you just set the coop up, but do you offer food in or around the coop? Garden snakes could be after an easy supply of mice, which love chicken feed. Remove the food source (small rodents) and they'll generally remove themselves. It's hard keeping snakes out otherwise, and I could tell you some stories...

 

[TenderLemon103]

I have no problem with mice in the coop, at least I've never seen any or have never seen any evidence of mice such as droppings or anything. I don't think mice would willing come around our place due to us having a few cats.

 

[TenderLemon103]

I have no problem with mice in the coop, at least I've never seen any or have never seen any evidence of mice such as droppings or anything. I don't think mice would willing come around our place due to us having a few cats.

Also all of the feed is stored in our shed which our cats access all the time I'm very shocked as to why they would have decided to chose my coop of all places to home her and her babies. Unless mice are somehow sneaking in and eating directly from the chicken feeder but like I said I've never seen any evidence of mice ):

 

[Elyrian1]

I didn't see evidence of mice until I had at least dozen of them living in and under my last coop, they absolutely were sneaking in to eat the spilled feed the chickens couldn't be bothered to clean up. And my chickens aren't smart enough to see mice and say "Dinner!!"

If momma just wanted a place that was dark and cool and safe to have her babies, that's perfectly understandable given the nature of hawks and whatnot. To keep snakes out, the hard part... because they can squeeze through insanely small holes. Every gap bigger than a nickel would have to be stoppered. If your coop sits on the ground I'd check for gaps at the base first, and work my way up the walls at least two feet, more if your guests return. Snakes don't chew through stuff like mice do, so you should be able to use caulking or something similar. As for the chicken door, that's going to be the hard part and if you're really determined you could get a little extreme... if it sits close to the ground consider whether its worth it to you to move it up higher, using a platform for the chickens to come and go.

In the south snakes are an understood risk of chicken keeping and the old boys don't bother keeping them out, just relocate (or kill in the case of venomous ones) them when they do show up. That's your other option, but you may have casualties or lose eggs.

Mice and snakes are why my second coop, the one I'm using now, is up off the ground...

 

[TenderLemon103]

I didn't see evidence of mice until I had at least dozen of them living in and under my last coop, they absolutely were sneaking in to eat the spilled feed the chickens couldn't be bothered to clean up. And my chickens aren't smart enough to see mice and say "Dinner!!"

If momma just wanted a place that was dark and cool and safe to have her babies, that's perfectly understandable given the nature of hawks and whatnot. To keep snakes out, the hard part... because they can squeeze through insanely small holes. Every gap bigger than a nickel would have to be stoppered. If your coop sits on the ground I'd check for gaps at the base first, and work my way up the walls at least two feet, more if your guests return. Snakes don't chew through stuff like mice do, so you should be able to use caulking or something similar. As for the chicken door, that's going to be the hard part and if you're really determined you could get a little extreme... if it sits close to the ground consider whether its worth it to you to move it up higher, using a platform for the chickens to come and go.

In the south snakes are an understood risk of chicken keeping and the old boys don't bother keeping them out, just relocate (or kill in the case of venomous ones) them when they do show up. That's your other option, but you may have casualties or lose eggs.

Mice and snakes are why my second coop, the one I'm using now, is up off the ground...

Yeah I definitely regret it being on the ground now it'll take a lot of work and labor to get it raised but I'm just going to have to do that. I'm out there everyday with them I can't believe I've never noticed them before. From now on I'm keeping my eyes peeled and looking in and under every little spot possible for mice and snakes. Momma's on alert now.

 

[Elyrian1]

Haha! Momma being on the alert is the single best defense your girls have. They tell me my great grandmother swore off keeping chickens because she wasn't going to have any animals dumb enough to sit there and let a snake eat them. Some chickens eat snakes, some chickens get eaten by snakes. Best of luck!

 

[jolly wattles]

Garden snakes don't typically hunt mice. Mostly insects and tiny frogs. She most likely just found a safe nesting area which happened to be you're coop. Relocate them on your property and most likely they won't return to your coop.

 

[Elyrian1]

It does kinda depend on your garden snake. I've seen the term applied somewhat loosely in the past. My own grandfather would use the term to apply to puff adders, aka eastern hognose snake. (Don't ever upset them... the vomit is for real disgusting.) Others just seem to attach the name to any nonvenomous snake they cross paths with.

 

[TenderLemon103]

Garden snakes don't typically hunt mice. Mostly insects and tiny frogs. She most likely just found a safe nesting area which happened to be you're coop. Relocate them on your property and most likely they won't return to your coop.

I did relocate them all so hopefully they don't come back. I'be been moving the bedding around every day looking for them and so far no sign of them thank god!