Rat snake

[nancykay2kay]

About sunset I found a snake against the house in a flower bed about twenty feet away from the chicken coop. It was about two feet long, light grey with dark markings and very skinny. By the time I got my wits together and made a quick plan. . . the snake went into a very bushy flower bed . . no chance there. So I came inside and identified him with a website and it is a rat snake which really like chickens. Later, after dark, I went out the side door by the coop and he was on the steps and quickly disappeared under the ac unit. That is about ten feet away from the coop. What should I do? Will a light on the porch discourage him? I don't think I can keep him out of the coop if his intent is to go inside.

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

If you don't want to kill him, you could make a trap for him using eggs as bait. They love to eat chicken eggs

 

[centrarchid]

He has a couple years before big enough to consume chicken eggs.

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Minnow trap?

 

[imnukensc]

Best bet is to just leave him alone. A snake that size would be a tasty treat for a chicken.

 

[nancykay2kay]

He killed one of the chickens last night. They were locked in their coop . . . I think he found a crack in between the timbers. My favorite one was dead and the other 3 were fairly traumatized. I got some snake repellent that I am fixing to use and I have shored up any cracks on the coop. I have put shovels, pick ax, etc. stationed around at intervals so if I see him again I will have a tool handy. He is very fast.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Let's face facts, snakes don't carry scales or tape measures around with them to make sure that all the chickens that the snakes kill will fit down their gullet. The reason is that snakes don't have pockets in which to tote around said measuring tools.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

He killed one of the chickens last night. They were locked in their coop . . . I think he found a crack in between the timbers. My favorite one was dead and the other 3 were fairly traumatized. I got some snake repellent that I am fixing to use and I have shored up any cracks on the coop. I have put shovels, pick ax, etc. stationed around at intervals so if I see him again I will have a tool handy. He is very fast.

how old are your chickens first.

 

[nancykay2kay]

Best bet is to just leave him alone. A snake that size would be a tasty treat for a chicken.

 

[nancykay2kay]

Nope, he killed a chicken last night, either him or one of his friends.