Is there a way to keep snakes out of the coop?

[DottieMarie]

I'm new to chickens, first ones arriving in a couple weeks and I have to say, the more I read the more I worry. Racoons, skunks, snakes, rats...... Not to mention we have 6 dogs I have to keep at bay.
We're putting up electric fence around our run, I can only hope it keeps all these pests out!
Oh and by the way; I also found the snake in the bird house funny (wouldn't have been so amusing if I would have stumpled on that) and the rocks made the story even better.
I use a vaccum to get spiders....

 

[gumpsgirl]

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I actually have read up on the Snake Away several years ago and forgot about. I'm going to give it a try I believe. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[antiquebuff]

I need to try something. My husband killed a Copperhead on our carport last night! He almost stepped on it..un
I am in Franklin NC I think I am going to try to find some guineas to go along with my chickens also! They are supposed to help...

 

[pvc coop]

My Aunt told me she she was collecting eggs a long time ago. She decided to slip her hand under a laying hen to feel for eggs, and guess what? A snake was curled up there. Neeless to say my Aunt was shaken up.

 

[gumpsgirl]

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Sheesh! I guess so!!! What a shocker.

I am happy to report to everyone that my mom has invested in some Snake Away (she bought it a Wal-Mart, so it's easy to find) to help deter the snakes from her bird nests. So far, so good! It is suppose to be safe for all animals, so I am getting some today to go around to outside perimeter of my coop!

 

[2boxers]

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Imagine how the poor chicken felt! Me, personally, I would die right there. I have a snake phobia that stems from being tormented by my older brother when I was a kid.

If ever I go into my coup or my run & find a snake, it's all over. I can't tolerate snakes.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

Gidday. Somebody mentioned burnt motor oil. You REALLY don't want to do that. Burnt oil is very different from fresh motor oil (i douldn't use that either) in that it now contains PCB's and a lot of other nasty chemicals. You don't want that in the ground and growing into the grass. There was actually a farmer who wanted to spray insecticide on his cows for fly control. It was supposed to be mixed with veggie oil and he used old motor oil instead. All his cows died. The cows were dumped in a landfill and they had to be dug up and disposed of in a toxic waste dump.

To help keep snakes away mow your grass real short. Snakes are afraid of hawks above all and avoid being in the open where visible from a distance. Snakes also establish a kind of territory. If it were caught and moved 5 miles it wouldn't come back.

 

[tn chick]

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Imagine how the poor chicken felt! Me, personally, I would die right there. I have a snake phobia that stems from being tormented by my older brother when I was a kid.

If ever I go into my coup or my run & find a snake, it's all over. I can't tolerate snakes.

2boxers : do we have the same brother mine tormented me with the snakes for years as a young child.

the sight of snakes even rubber ones makes me want to vomit,im trying to get past this as i love the country. i too have been told this snake repellant works.

 

[ChickenBoo]

Moths balls are the most certain way to rid any area of snakes. Snakes won't tolerate moth balls for a second. I've had snakes in my basement & by tossing a few mothballs into the room, those slithery suckers vacate in a hurry. They do dissolve outdoors over time so you'll have to reapply. They might deter other pests (foxes, skunks, minks) as well.

I've also known people to smear pine tar on the legs of their coops to keep snakes from climbing into the nesting boxes. Pine tar is, supposedly, an irritant to snakes.

 

[gumpsgirl]

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Moth balls do work to deter snakes, but they are deadly to chickens if the get ingested. You need to be very careful when applying mothballs in an area where chickens are. Just FYI!

The pine tar is a great idea! I might give that a go this summer.