Hello from Georgia!

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stephdownsouth

stephdownsouth

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I think we may have a snake or rats entering our coop and was told to spread sulfur around the edges to deter both. We let our girls free range in the evening - is sulfur harmful to them?

I'm excited to be a part of this group!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


A determined predator will not be stopped by sulfur. So the best thing you can do is reinforce your coop so nothing can get in. Always use hardware cloth on exterior runs and areas of the coop that things can get in. Chicken wire can be chewed thru.

You might want to stop by this article in our learning center on protecting your flock...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-predators-pests-how-to-protect-treat-your-flock

And if you have any specific questions, you can ask in our Predators and Pests forums for more help...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests

Good luck with these pests and welcome to our flock!
 
No, it won't hurt them. Sulfur is actually used to treat mites on commercial farms. A light dusting usually does the trick. Careful though, it'll burn you (stings). Also let the place air out a little while before hand and turn of heat-lamps//lights/heaters. Sulfur, dust, and ammonia are pretty flammable when airborne. These are pretty similar compounds to the ingredients in gunpowder. haha
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! TwoCrows gave you some good advice / links to check out, if you already have a problem, you are probably going to have to do something than spread some sulfur around to deter the animals.
 
Thanks, all!

We do indeed have heavy duty hardware cloth, with cement around the entire base. I know rats and snakes can squeeze into crazy tiny spaces, so will check for other entries. I also wonder if something spooked them. I entered the run to feed them last week and they all ran away from me into the corner - an absolute first as they always rush towards me. I found 2 "deflated" eggs (they have an oyster shell feeder, so I am not concerned about calcium) this weekend, and decreased laying as well....

Today looks good thus far - 3 out of 5 have laid and it's only 2:20 here. Maybe they are on the up :)

Thanks again!
 

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