Oh MY! Just stumbled onto a snake!

[teslilbit]

Breathe!! My girls aren't even laying yet. Put my hand down to pick up hose and...I did a crazy dance! Surprised me more than anything, I'm not scared of snakes.

Sooo, thankfully I was home... My girls are about 11 weeks old. What preventive measures can I take that I'm not already taking? We keep grass cut, coop and run clean, ect. (I'm a lil OCD about that) I'm am not sure what kind of snake, about 2 foot. (I'm fixing to google that) I am germinating pumpkin seeds as we speak. And this definitely gives me pause to plant them....We have had the chicks since they were few days old, and this is the first snake Ive seen.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, this is the first time with chickens and I do not want neighbors, (it went in neighbors yard through the fence before I could get it.) or hubby.....to start complaining and me have to give my chickens up. I called him at work and he said, "They said to watch them chickens didn't start attracting snakes". And I must say we have not seen a snake here since we moved here, over a year ago. UGH! Help!

 

[TheBrahmaBunch]

Snakes will not normally attack grown birds, but they can be a danger to eggs and chicks. i don't know about preventative measures but if you collect your eggs often it should not be a problem. what kind of snake was it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In Southern Louisiana, you have a huge number of species of snakes, whether you see them or not. I really don't think chickens attract them. Perhaps the chickens' feed attracts mice which would attract snakes. There are no better mousers than snakes.
Snakes may take eggs or baby chicks but most snakes are at greater risk from your chickens than vice versa.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Breathe!! My girls aren't even laying yet. Put my hand down to pick up hose and...I did a crazy dance! Surprised me more than anything, I'm not scared of snakes.

Sooo, thankfully I was home... My girls are about 11 weeks old. What preventive measures can I take that I'm not already taking? We keep grass cut, coop and run clean, ect. (I'm a lil OCD about that) I'm am not sure what kind of snake, about 2 foot. (I'm fixing to google that) I am germinating pumpkin seeds as we speak. And this definitely gives me pause to plant them....We have had the chicks since they were few days old, and this is the first snake Ive seen.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, this is the first time with chickens and I do not want neighbors, (it went in neighbors yard through the fence before I could get it.) or hubby.....to start complaining and me have to give my chickens up. I called him at work and he said, "They said to watch them chickens didn't start attracting snakes". And I must say we have not seen a snake here since we moved here, over a year ago. UGH! Help!

Snakes happen. Regardless of chickens. It's that time of year; time for snakes to be out roaming around, hunting after slim pickings all winter. This is when you're going to see a lot of snakes dead on the side of the road, because they went out on the pavement to warm up and got run over. It's when there are a bunch of newly born or newly hatched snakes out getting a start on life, and older snakes looking for new territories. If there was one snake there now, there have undoubtedly been snakes there in the past. They just didn't get seen. I would say to snake-proof your coop by eliminating any spots one could get in, and be happy to have the ultimate natural, organic rodent control around.

Edit to add - eliminate the spots a larger snake could get in. The wigglers - babies - can fit through tiny spaces. They're nothing to worry about, since your chickens will undoubtedly be utterly delighted to eat them. Chickens eat snakes. Non-venomous snakes. Venomous snakes. They don't care. Baby snakes are apparently delicious extra-wiggly worms. You only really need to worry about the snakes that are big enough to eat eggs or chicks.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Here, if your husband doesn't like snakes, show him this.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That chicken was having fun doing what it was genetically predisposed to do.

 

[teslilbit]

All good to know. Ill be extra vigilant when they start laying....Ive looked at pictures and I say it was a Pine snake...then I read they are rare, but I keep comparing pictures and that is the one it looks like. I'm somewhat familiar with snakes and Ive never seen this one... that put my heart a pounding.

 

[teslilbit]

Snakes happen. Regardless of chickens. It's that time of year; time for snakes to be out roaming around, hunting after slim pickings all winter. This is when you're going to see a lot of snakes dead on the side of the road, because they went out on the pavement to warm up and got run over. It's when there are a bunch of newly born or newly hatched snakes out getting a start on life, and older snakes looking for new territories. If there was one snake there now, there have undoubtedly been snakes there in the past. They just didn't get seen. I would say to snake-proof your coop by eliminating any spots one could get in, and be happy to have the ultimate natural, organic rodent control around.

Edit to add - eliminate the spots a larger snake could get in. The wigglers - babies - can fit through tiny spaces. They're nothing to worry about, since your chickens will undoubtedly be utterly delighted to eat them. Chickens eat snakes. Non-venomous snakes. Venomous snakes. They don't care. Baby snakes are apparently delicious extra-wiggly worms. You only really need to worry about the snakes that are big enough to eat eggs or chicks.

I agree, probably have been there in past. The chickens have me out more this summer as far as in the yard....

 

[teslilbit]

Snakes will not normally attack grown birds, but they can be a danger to eggs and chicks. i don't know about preventative measures but if you collect your eggs often it should not be a problem. what kind of snake was it?

Ive looked at pictures and I say it was a Pine snake...then I read they are rare, but I keep comparing pictures and that is the one it looks like.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Beautiful snakes! A lucky sighting!