Rattlesnake in nesting box

[Young Heritage]

I have heard of using a kerosene soaked rope around the perimeter. Supposedly a snake will not cross the rope. If you soak the rope then hang it up to let the excess run off before putting it down, it should be safer for the chickens. Don't want them to drink kerosene.

 

[Burning Beard]

Relative to Phil E and 7L's solution, I heard on Howard Stern this morning that Richard's father puts golf balls in the nesting boxes so the snakes eat the balls and die. Rather simple trick.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Now I am totally freaked about checking my boxes!! Although I do have small hardware cloth all the way around they can still sneak in some pretty small holes!!! If you put lye or lime I think it is around the perimeter they will not cross it. It burns their skin. Doublecheck to make sure it's not harmful to your chickens or other pets though first. I also read somewhere that you could put broken egg shells around the perimeter as they don't like the sharpness of them. I don't know if this will work though. I have seen snakes cross our dirt road and that I think would be much rougher than eggs shells. I would start with the hardware cloth first and then go from there. Good luck. Sure glad noone got bit!!!

 

[rufus]

Quote:
When we would sleep on the ground, my father used to put down a rope to keep away snakes. I can tell you for a fact, it does not work! Maybe the kerosene evaporated away. I always wondered what would happen if the fumes caught fire from the camp fire?

Rufus

 

[guard278th]

This may sound funny ,but buy a pig , a pig will eat snakes and deter them away

 

[flocksalot]

Quote:
Now I have a really good reason to get a pig! My husband can't object to it unless he's willing to take care of the snakes. Thankfully I've never even seen a snake on our farm. With all the rodents we have I'm really surprised. I would try everything suggested and then have my husband get his gun ready. I on the other ha d would be staying very far away.

 

[Komaki]

terry's chicks :

I'm still wondering about the "moth Ball" thing, I thought about putting it around the perimeter of my coop and run, I know it will kill dogs, but my dogs are fenced in another area? What to you think?

My wife demanded I use moth balls. But I refuse!!!!!!!!!! But they seem to work after all.

 

[Komaki]

Some how there is a way I can upload a pic to one of these. I have many pics of snakes I have removed from my nest boxes and several locals coops. Seems I'm sort of the snake man here. If ont even one person here ever listens to me about anything, listen to this! Rattlers can kill you,Period! Don't blindly grab eggs. To drive the point home, I can only count to nine. And I was lucky. Even though it did not put me off the snakes, I paid for having a contest come up a draw.. I lost! Snakes can be handled safely, but only if you have the proper equipment and first aid. Don't be a hero. Everyone please be carefull.

 

[AmazingGrace]

We had a 3ft long rattlesnake in our coop this afternoon. I sent a group of kids along with my kids out to feed the chickens and they found it! My twelve year old daughter went in to investigate when they started screaming "snake" She sent them out of the coop and almost picked it up when common sense and the good Lord took hold of her and she decided to go get her Dad instead. Talk about scary, my stomach still is turning when I think about it. Came on here to investigate good ways to keep the snakes away.