Giant rat snake

[mpguay]

I have concentrated all my efforts on owls, hawks, coyote, possum because they have all taken many birds.
Yesterday we put 6 3-week old chicks out. they were inside a 30x36" rabbit cage, the cage was in a 10x10x6 chain link enclosure with top. All this is within electric net fencing.
This morning I found 3 chicks and this in the rabbit cage:
6 foot rat snake got in, but after eating 3 chicks he was too fat to get out. you can see he is doubled up - the 3 chicks are right in the middle and then theres another 4 feet of him. I am very sure that he has controlled the rodent population, but I cant tolerate this around chicks. I also have a broody that will hatch in 2 weeks.

So we dispatched him.

Predators seem to be never ending.

 

[MontgomeryTX]

We have had a lot of problem with rat snakes this year. Broke down and installed a lot of hardware cloth.

 

[seann]

Hardware cloth 1/2" is the way to go.

 

[mpguay]

you are so right. for tonight we put the cage on top of a metal 55 gal drum. Im hoping a snake cant scale that.

 

[GardenDave]

Wow I do a lot of moanin' about living in UK but I do realise some of the benefits when all I have to freak out about are a few slugs on the brassica patch and one mouse in the corner of the chicken run hahaha.

 

[Spongegirl]

I have seen more snakes this year than ever. 4 already. What does dispatch mean? kill? Snakes are fast so how do I catch them? Freaking predators! I'm sick of fighting for my chickens' lives. I lost 4 chicks last night a month old to my maremma. I have a sad sad case with him, as he is so "misguided".

 

[enola]

There are threads on this site that tell about people trapping snakes with a minnow trap and plastic netting. Maybe someone will post the links, I don't know how.

 

[mpguay]

I have no problem grabbing a black snake, provided I have a leather glove on. grab it by the tail or the neck.
Black snakes are fabulous predators and will keep the rodent population down so I do hate to kill them.

You can get bird netting (really cheap from Tractor Supply or online) and bunch it up around the cage. I did this around the pole that holds my Purple MArtin houses.
A snake may try to get in, but he will get so caught up in the netting and wont find a way out. So then you have to decide to untangle him alive or kill him. But it is VERY effective in keeping snakes out of a small area. there are some great pictures of this. just Google 'snake caught in netting".