Keeping Chickens Free Range

[OrganicFarmWife]

I will admit I do not know much about snakes, but very few reptiles form family groups. Could it instead have been a female in heat, whose pheromone trail simply led the other potential suitors to her?

 

[spurrer]

I never see any rats. I have had a mouse or two come in the house when it turned cold. I am bothered by chipmunks. They are cute but can really be destructive. My brother had his patio practically undermine by them. He traps them and takes them a long way off. I just don't like snakes and don't want them in my yard.

 

[rottlady]

some snake species also eat other snakes if she was still twitching it might have been an attraction, or it simply could have been hunting the same area and went the same path. They don't buddy about together though no, although several species will share sleeping holes with the same species

 

[spurrer]

I don't know. I can't tell the difference between a male or female snake, have never tried to. That would explain it unless they were coming after me for killing their kinfolk. I sure hope another one doesn't show up. It is getting scary.

 

[rottlady]

good hunting grounds attract them. If you have mice, voles or chipmunks you will have snakes

 

[poodlechicks]

One of my Orpingtons is a hunting machine. She kills mice and snakes. The commotion attracts the other chickens and all start fighting over the remains. It looks a little gross, but I'm glad for her pest control instincts. Still I have to help them by controlling the mice population, but I never touch the snakes, for they do help a lot w rodent control.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

We have grain in bins and seed and alot of out buildings. So I keep a large clowder (I had to look that one up) of cats. Their job is to take care of the rodent population, to in return for shelter and a little food. I never see any mice or snakes, except dead ones.

 

[islandgirl82]

I have a cat now who helps in that department and had a West Highland Terrier who was great with vermin control as well - and left my flock alone (he was scared of them). I'd have another Westie over another cat any day.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I have a cat now who helps in that department and had a West Highland Terrier who was great with vermin control as well - and left my flock alone (he was scared of them).  I'd have another Westie over another cat any day. 

Westies look nice but DH us staunchly against owning a large dog. I like the cats, a few of them have even earned names. They are great entertainment for the girls, and perform a useful function. So I do not mind feeding them.

 

[islandgirl82]

Westies look nice but DH us staunchly against owning a large dog. I like the cats, a few of them have even earned names. They are great entertainment for the girls, and perform a useful function. So I do not mind feeding them.

Westies are about 20lbs (average). I prefer large dogs (newfies in particular) but took the westie in as a foster and he won me over. I've known a few others and they're just happy, very comical, loyal and make fierce vermin hunters as they were bred to do. I don't mind the cat I have now but she's the last one. She's an indoor/outdoor cat and likes to rip up her catches on my door mat. I've grown very tired of constantly having to watch my step and cleaning up after cats. She's good about not using my gardens as her litter box but there's no guarantee that other cats would be so courteous.