I'm torn about these snakes.. (photo included)

[StupidBird]

Along the lines of attracting snakes by high rodent populations:
We have lived here 20 years and I've only seen a grass snake caught in the blueberry netting (threw the netting out, all it did was trap poor creatures). This year we got 5 chickens and have rehomed 2 black rat snakes in the last few weeks. What is attracting them, other than our eggs? Other changes in the last year have been to clear the back quarter acre, leaving 3 brush piles to burn this fall when the state allows. The feed is kept far away in the garage, but their feeder hangs below the hutch part in their run. I do mix generous amounts of red hot pepper powder in the open top and the bottom when refilling. Do I need to be shutting their feeder up at night? Our subdivision home also has a vegetable garden some 20x50 feet, back up onto a horse pasture and creek below that. Neighbors are indifferent at lawn care. I keep the grass mowed, and that's sometimes twice weekly when there's rain. Edges are mostly weedwhacked regularly.
After we cleared the back, come to think of it, a neighbor walking down the back lane said he used to let his little terrier chase rats there!!!!

Its partially in garden, with plans to make it all garden and orchard. There's a lot of thick brush at each neighbors'.
Guess I should be thankful all I get are black rat snakes!

 

[River Lizard]

The snakes could have been in the area where you cleared, which now has limited their cover also. Sounds like you have the ideal setting.....brush piles, water and a possible food source....what more could a snake ask for?

If your neighbor said there was rats....it's probably a good thing you have a few rat snakes around then.

I've got about a third of an acre that's half treed and half weeds and bushes that we're trying to leave as natural as possible.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Well, I can only do so much clearing. We're surrounded by fields with a farm shop on one side. The amount of gophers and mice alone keep the snakes well fed, but like I said, I haven't seen any gopher mounds lately, so I think the bull snakes have earned their eggs on that matter alone. If I total the cost of all trees, shrubs, vines, and plants that have been killed by gophers, and the chicken wire I've bought to make root ball covers to no avail, then we're easily in the range of more than 300 dollars.

If it weren't for the Barn Owls and Bull Snakes, we'd probably be completely infested with vermin.

This past July 4th, we went outside to watch... fireworks? No! My guests were thrilled to see a bullsnake coiled by the fence, and a mamma barn owl and young barn owl practice flying skills. The critters take getting used to, but they sure can be a joy!

The good comes with the bad.
Due to our location, we get illegal aliens, but we also are the proud home to great blue herons, barn owls, burrowing owls, elf owls, white egrets, a roadrunner, king snakes, and bull snakes.
It takes some getting used to.

Also, it's too hot here for baby chicks, so I'm not worried about chick-eaters yet. Maybe in a month, but I'm hoping the snake activity slows down considerably before then!

 

[scooter147]

The "expression" on that chickens face is priceless.

 

[Tonopah Pati]

I hate the bad snakes! Some times it is hard to know what kind of a snake it is, however YOU can tell a RATTLE SNAKE! If you live where they live you must be alert. I for one will chop it's head off, and feed it to my chickens.

 

[dave3877]

only ones i kill are the ones i catch harming my stuff. i have a rat snake inmy storage building but hes been eating mice so far so im letting him do his thing. i havent seen him anywhere near my birds so until that day comes hes safe. if he goes elsewhere hes toast