Good animal for protecting my girls from rattlesnakes?

[Huey & the Ladies]

What are some good animal alternatives to house with Huey & the Ladies to help protect them from rattlesnakes? We're on 40 acres in the arid Northern California western foothills, and killed three big ones in the last week. No losses with chickens. Ideas?

 

[centrarchid]

If rattle snakes an issue, then a hog or get a pet oppossum to eat snakes.

What are the critters to be protected?

 

[Huey & the Ladies]

If rattle snakes an issue, then a hog or get a pet oppossum to eat snakes.

What are the critters to be protected?

15 Ladies & Huey

 

[Huey & the Ladies]

Chickens

 

[barred2rock]

If rattle snakes an issue, then a hog or get a pet oppossum to eat snakes.

What are the critters to be protected?

I wouldn't find it advisable to get animals that will eat chickens to protect chickens.

 

[Huey & the Ladies]

Right. But animals that would protect chickens from rattlesnakes? What about that?

 

[Zoomie]

Wow... the only one I know of is the king snake. They are called "king snakes" because they eat other snakes... including rattlesnakes. They are protected as I recall.

For the most part rattlesnakes are not real interested in eating chickens. They normally hunt mice and rats. They will however try and defend themselves from a chicken. But what I mean is, rattlesnakes are not actively hunting chickens. They might be attracted by the mice that are attracted to the feed, maybe try and keep the mouse population down?

 

[barred2rock]

Right. But animals that would protect chickens from rattlesnakes? What about that?

Everything that comes to mind will also eat chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

I did not put a lot of mental effort into this above owing to a lack of detail explaining concept with first post. That being said, I write again "hog", as in pig. Ours were very fund of eating snakes and they seemed undeterred by Copperheads (poisonous kin of rattlesnakes) biting in self defense. Opossums also eat snakes with gusto but that is clarified here as a joke.

It is difficult for me to imagine how rattlesnakes could take such a high amount of management concern.

 

[Folly's place]

Managing snake-bit 'flock protectors' would be a very big deal, and expensive. Hogs are big and tough; need special fencing, and would love chicken too. I'd think that the rattlers are more of a risk for you! Mary