Got a new pen almost finished, already caught a snake....

[Maidservant]

Well, after having the chickens outgrow their pens extremely quick, I was worried about getting up the money to buy more wire to build onto their current pens with. I've been helping my aunt and uncle clean up around their place, and my uncle asks if I know anyone who could use 4 rolls of fencing. Me! Needless to say I brought all of them home. Two were about 50 ft long rolls of 2"x4" welded wire. The third was about 150 ft long, also 2"x4" welded wire. The last one was a 200 ft long roll of 2"x2" fencing that has the ends wrapped around the other pieces of wire, if that makes any sense. I used all of the first three rolls and about 1/4 of the last roll to make a "pasture pen" for the chickens and ducks. It's out in the woods, so it's shaded all day (which is great in this heat, heat index of 105 today!). I let both groups of chickens out, and after establishing their pecking order, they are all out taking dustbaths, eating, and doing normal chicken stuff. These chickens are between 9 and 13 weeks old. There is no top on the pen yet, I'm hoping to get some deer netting to put over it.

Well, I went out this morning to feed everyone and to change out their water. All of a sudden, all of the larger breed chickens (RIR's mainly) run over to the back side of the pen and just stand there looking out. I just figured that they were looking at our neighbors cat (who is afraid of the chickens thankfully). I didn't see anything, so I go on about feeding and watering. They start making some noise and when I looked this time, I saw yellow bands moving across the ground. I ran back there and shoo'ed off the chickens and grabbed the kingsnake that was heading straight for them. I'm just glad I've started going out in the morning to feed everyone! Now I've got to figure out what I'm going to do with the kingsnake. Killing it is not an option, and I really hate to re-locate it. I would rather have kingsnakes than copperheads.

The pen doesn't look all that good, but it works. I'll try to get pictures of everyone enjoying it later on today!

Emily in NC

 

[tiffanyh]

Why not relocate?

 

[Maidservant]

I'm thinking about relocating the snake down to the river about 5 miles south, but the last time we started relocating lots of snakes, we were overran with 4 lb rats! That was before the chickens, and we would sit out and watch the treeline and shoot the rats with the rifle, that's how big they were. I think they were getting fat off of all the old rat poison that my mom put out, lol. Snakes are a big natural occurance here, and like I said, I would rather have kingsnakes than copperheads. At least I can just go and pick up a kingsnake. Although, if I see a copperhead, it's going to be dead before long.

What gets me is the fact that the chickens are too curious for their own good. They are accustomed to everything being afraid of them or nice to them. The rabbits are up in their cages, so they won't bother the chickens, my cat cuddles with them, the neighbors cat is afraid of them, and the ducks are fine with them. I'm just glad I was outside at the time.

 

[sred98]

The kingsnake won't hurt the big chickens, and they usually won't bother the babies or eggs if there are other things they prefer to eat, like other snakes, lizards, mice, rats, etc. If you don't have any babies or eggs in there, then I would just move it out of the pen, for IT'S safety.

In case your chickens get bold! LOL! I'd rather have a kingsnake around than the rats! That would be really bad for your chickens.

Shelly