Giant Rat Snake

[EmilyChickens]

Hello all, I've been having one problem after another with my chickens recently and last night I was going out to check on my youngest chicks around midnight and there was this huge rat snake (had to be AT LEAST 6-7ft) in their pen (which is all wire, not even an inch between the bars and the top of it is hardware cloth). It killed two of my young chicks which are about a month old so I brought the rest in and they spent the night in my room. Does anyone have tips on snake proofing their coops/runs? I thought the chick pen was pretty secure, but I thought wrong. I'd appreciate any input, and until I remake their nighttime pen I'm planning on bringing them in for the night so I know they're safe.


Thanks!

Emily

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sorry for your loss. At least you were able to save most. Going out in the middle of the night when predators are afoot will certainly enlighten one of their presence. Smaller mesh hardware cloth is the only way to keep snakes and mink/weasels out. I usually use 1/2" mesh. 1/4" is better but it will often get clogged with dust.
Snakes will be looking for food day and night so a snake is just as likely to be around at noon as it is at midnight.

 

[EmilyChickens]

Thank you.
Yes it was definitely not a fun surprise to find that last night. We have the big snakes all over around here, so I check the little ones more often during the day since they're so popular. Last night I just so happened to be out late doing other things with the animals and was doing a once over of everyone and found what I ound.

I just got hardware cloth, plywood, and 2x4s from home depot to make them something super secure, this pen will be everything proof

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Snakes are almost as good of climbers as raccoons. Nothing is safe from either no matter how high.
There are lots of other good climbers out there too.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

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Rat snakes follow the scent of rodent pheromones. You most likely need to control your rodent population.
Strategic placement of bait stations work wonderfully. Most rodent bait systems dehydrate the rats/mice- thus sending them off in search of water off property.
Control the rodents and the snake will carry on wayward.
BTW, if you dispatch rat snakes, you are only helping the rodents thrive in peace and harmony.

 

[EmilyChickens]

Snakes are almost as good of climbers as raccoons. Nothing is safe from either no matter how high.
There are lots of other good climbers out there too.

Their nighttime pen I have now has a top on it made of hardware cloth so I know it didn't climb in through the top, it may have been between the bars of the sides. Their new brooder pen is going to have a 2x4 frame, a locking lid on it so that nothing can climb in through the top, and the walls/lid are going to have hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, and a piece of plywood for the floor of it. So snakes won't be able to get in from anywhere.

I can post photos once it's done.

 

[EmilyChickens]

View attachment 1452027​

Rat snakes follow the scent of rodent pheromones. You most likely need to control your rodent population.
Strategic placement of bait stations work wonderfully. Most rodent bait systems dehydrate the rats/mice- thus sending them off in search of water off property.
Control the rodents and the snake will carry on wayward.
BTW, if you dispatch rat snakes, you are only helping the rodents thrive in peace and harmony.
View attachment 1452028

I hardly see any rodents here, and there haven't been any in my coop. I've had rat snakes eat eggs out of my coop a few times before though, so maybe it was going after eggs and then noticed there were chicks instead.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I hardly see any rodents here, and there haven't been any in my coop. I've had rat snakes eat eggs out of my coop a few times before though, so maybe it was going after eggs and then noticed there were chicks instead.

Rats come out in the dark. Very elusive and keen.

Your eggs/my eggs are a PERK as far as hunting for din din goes.
We have been battling them for almost 2 decades now.
Where there is livestock food, there is spillage. Where there is spillage, there are rodents.

 

[centrarchid]

I use a combination of elevated pens and tighter wire mesh. When a snake is known to be causing issues I have been placing cages on top of 55-gallon barrels at least 3 feet from nearest surface a snake can climb. My biggest Rat Snakes are just under 8 feet so the barrel trick works on those. My dogs also really put a dent in snakes and there are times when I will promote that. Snake I had last night was relocated to another setting where its services are desired.