Garter Snake infestation

[andreanar]

BTW it is "venomous" not "poisonous" poison is ingested and can be injected but venom is only injected

I said poisonous.....meaning that your chickens can EAT them! Garter snakes pose no threat to chickens, by injecting VENOM or being POISONOUS.

 

[chickencheeper]

I didn't mean to cause a debate like this but unless we get a herpitoligist(reptile professional) in here to set us all straight then we're just going on assumptions and personal experience and google. First thing first- are you referring to eastern garter snakes, red-sided garter snakes, or something else?

 

[andreanar]

I'm not a snake expert ( a HERPETOLOGIST), I hate them and can only speak of garters from my area (which is the same as the OP's area). In our area, we do not have garters that are dangerous to chickens. Maybe in your area, garters are man killers. Here, kids play with them, catch them and keep them as pets.

 

[chickencheeper]

I'm not a snake expert ( a HERPETOLOGIST), I hate them and can only speak of garters from my area (which is the same as the OP's area). In our area, we do not have garters that are dangerous to chickens. Maybe in your area, garters are man killers. Here, kids play with them, catch them and keep them as pets.

Yes we play with them but they are not man-killers but they are mean, especially the "big" ones. Sorry for the spelling

 

[TeeMom]

I am not a herpetologist, but graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology and have caught, kept and observed snakes, wild and captive since I was a child. Garter snakes are a very good snake to have around. They do not pose a danger to people or chickens (or their eggs). I kept a pair of red-sided garter snakes as a child and have caught numerous others in my lifetime and have also been bitten on more occasions than I could count. Their bites are surprising, but I am not sure I could even classify them as painful. Any bite carries a risk of infection, but I have never experienced such a thing and I have NEVER been bitten by any snake unless I have deliberately cornered or grabbed them. If I were the OP, I would definitely consider myself lucky to have them on my property...there's really no downside to them unless you are creeped out by them, but then they are a good species to help in desensitizing yourself to that fear. I vote to ignore the snakes and let them do their snakey things.

 

[centrarchid]

I am a zoologist so understand literature out there enough to wade through it.

My area has two nominal species (Eastern (two subspecies) and possibly Plains). We are in the transition zone between the Red-sided and more typical Eastern Garter Snake. Both I have seen and handled in the same day. I am not sure the latter should be treated as subspecies relative to each other. I have not seen interactions between these snakes and chickens. My kids handle the Garter Snakes and they Ribbon Snakes near the pond.

 

[sawilliams]

Wow, such a discussion about snakes... we grow up calling the lottle ones with yellow lines garter snakes and the little ones with red lines red racers. And learned both as safe snakes that where good for the gardens and plants, the cats like them as toys too. Now I'm just trying to picture one of these tiny garter snakes even going near my chickens. Believe me i saw one jyst the other day that was at least 18 inches long still no wider then my pinky. It startled me more then anything, but that guy would be chicken feed unless the cats got it first. On the other hand the 5 foot plus gopher snake that came for a visit at our old house a few years back, that guy I would worry about. Venom or not anything that big is scary...

But really are you sure it was a garter snake? And not something else? Maybe the squirrels are just getting ready to hibernate?

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

I have several 3+ft Garter Snakes on my farm. I am not afraid of them and my chickens aren't either.

 

[Snaggy]

Garter snakes back east are usually around 2 to 2&1/2 feet long. One subspecies, the Giant Garter Snake, lives in the western Sierra foothills. I've seen them, I'd believe 5 foot maybe, but 3 to 4 feet would be more common.

Snake venom, and the equipment to deliver it, evolved from saliva and specialized teeth. Garter snake saliva is mildly venomous. Let one chew on you for a while, you might notice something. This isn't unusual, a number of snakes in the US have mildly toxic saliva, yet aren't pit vipers or coral snakes. A few could make you uncomfortable, if you let them chew on you. I'd almost rather take a Garter Snake bite than have one smear that disgusting stuff in their cloaca on me, which they ALWAYS do when handled.

Garter snakes prefer fish and amphibians, smaller reptiles, with maybe a baby bird or mouse or small egg thrown in. Bugs and slugs are on the menu too. They don't constrict or have powerful venom, so they really can't take something like a chipmunk or even an adult mouse. Chickens and eggs would be impossible.

The OP probably has a winter den in her area and that's why she's having an infestation.

You don't have to be a herpetologist to know something about snakes. There are a lot of reptile hobbyists that are extremely knowledgeable.

 

[Cinderloowho]

I can honestly say that we do have an infestation of garter snakes. One night we came home about dusk and the yard next to the driveway was full of them. Another day I walked past this old shed that was in our yard, it had a hitch on the front of it, it was meant to be winched onto a trailer and moved around in the oilfield...anyway, curled up inside the hitch were about a dozen BIG snakes. I guess they liked the warm metal. Here's what I know from watching them...they are very timid, if you disturb one it will try to get away quickly. We have had NO mice in our house since I noticed the snake population explosion, could be a coincidence, but we had a real problem for awhile and they seem to be gone (fingers crossed!) I doubt that any of them, even the huge ones, are big enough to eat a normal sized egg, but I'm still trying to make the yard where the chickens will be more "snakeproof"! Since I have a 6' wood fence around my yard and the chickens will have a coop and run inside of that, I figure snakes (this is rattler and bull snake country too) will pretty much be the only predators I have so I'm trying to keep them all out. Even if they won't eat the eggs I really don't want to reach into a nestbox and find one curled up in there! LOL!