Huge Snake problems

[Rivendell Chick]

Personally I'd put repellant around them just in case, because some snakes can fit through pencil holes! But as long as theyre a safe distance from the ground they should be okay, nothing has bothered my babies and I live basically in a swamp filled with Cottonmouths and Timber Rattlers. The bottom of my pen is covered in 1/2" hardware cloth but I double layered it for extra protection

I do have an elevated coop (30") with the run extending into the space under it, hardware cloth over all openings except the chicken's door into the run. Hoping that if my girls sound the alarm the dogs will investigate and at least act as a deterrent.

 

[centrarchid]

Faster moving than I would have expected. Thanks for sharing. This is primarily the type of snake I see around our gardens, tractor sheds, etc. Definitely relocating the one I saw yesterday since the dogs aren't up for it.

Snake in video is a Black Racer do more of the active pursuit during the day. They are really fast going after frogs. The Black Rat slowly sneaks up on you.

My dogs kill snakes, even Osage Copperheads, when they can. Often the dogs cannot get to snake because of fencing. One of my dog destroys everything to get at snakes which gets more costly than what the snake does.

 

[FeatherLace]

I do have an elevated coop (30") with the run extending into the space under it, hardware cloth over all openings except the chicken's door into the run. Hoping that if my girls sound the alarm the dogs will investigate and at least act as a deterrent.

I think they'll be fine then. The snake repellant I got at the store was around $7 for a gallon of the powder, and I haven't seen any snakes around, even in my blackberry patch

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Try getting bird netting and loosely wrapping it all the way around the coop/run. It is pretty cheap on Amazon. The snakes will get wrapped up trying to get in and then you can decide what to do with them as far as relocation or dispatch goes.

 

[Rivendell Chick]

I think they'll be fine then. The snake repellant I got at the store was around $7 for a gallon of the powder, and I haven't seen any snakes around, even in my blackberry patch

Thanks... I'll look for it. I have CNG (Certifed naturally grown) status for my gardens though, so it will have to be ORMI approved for me to be able to use it.

 

[centrarchid]

Try getting bird netting and loosely wrapping it all the way around the coop/run. It is pretty cheap on Amazon. The snakes will get wrapped up trying to get in and then you can decide what to do with them as far as relocation or dispatch goes.

I use deer netting to keep chickens in. It has caught many snakes, a couple owls and a hawk. Each time a major pain in the butt.

 

[FeatherLace]

Thanks... I'll look for it. I have CNG (Certifed naturally grown) status for my gardens though, so it will have to be ORMI approved for me to be able to use it.

I like keeping all of my animals organic, if that means the same thing, and the snake repellant I use is all just naturally dried and crushed oils and herbs to make the powder, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to find something like that for you too

 

[aart]

(the coturnix are separated in an elevated cage covered with 1/4 " snake wire, which is not working)

@Qualien
Then how did it get in?
Did you find a gap?

 

[Rivendell Chick]

I like keeping all of my animals organic, if that means the same thing, and the snake repellant I use is all just naturally dried and crushed oils and herbs to make the powder, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to find something like that for you too

That's perfect. The CNG program is very specific on what can and can't be used around gardens and animals, but what you're describing sounds ideal.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I've installed 36"- 1/4" on the bottom half of my 3 pens long ago. Two pens are 12'x20' and the large pen is 12'x 40'. When I lived in Georgia I installed the 24"- 1/2" on the pens.
Hardware cloth aint cheap. So far so good, no snake penetrations.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Acorn-I...ft-23-Gauge-Hardware-Cloth-HC436100/300661483

You're right it is not cheap. Think of it this way, once you have it in place you don't have to keep buying it or replacing it.