Snake in Lay Boxes -Dangerous ?

[BabyGirls]

Hello everyone,
I usually get my girls eggs every evening as they go in for the night. My husband did it this evening and my worst fear happened - he went to reach in and saw a snake coiled up with an egg in his mouth- a black snake.

I dont know if they are dangerous (they usually are good to have around a farm) but either way I don't want it in the coop nor potentially hurting my girls - ANY RECOMMENDATIONS on how to stop it from coming in now that it has found its new buffet

I know that the "Snake Out" product that I can pick up at the local tractor supply can keep it out if I sprinkle it around the coop BUT is that dangerous for the girls (as they eat everything) and 2nd I know that snakes come from holes in the ground and that hole may be already located somewhere inside the coop.

Thoughts and suggestions Greatly Appreciated

 

[MissPrissy]

Look for places in the hen house where the snake is getting in. Try covering them with hardware cloth.

Since the snake knows where to go for a good meal he will never go away and not come back. Snakes can climb trees, shimmy through places in the roof, etc., to get what he came for. Also where there is one there is usually two or more.

I would suggest killing the egg eater. Normally I would leave a rat snake to deal with mice but when there isn't much to eat in the furry critter department they eat the eggs and small chicks.

You can try what some have done - golf balls in the nest - he won't be able to digest that and it will be the nail in his coffin.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

My father would never let us kill snakes growing up. Good mice and rat killers, but they will eat chicks and eggs so if I found one in my henhouse or nest boxes I would re-home....I've done that before on the farm and have never had them come back.

 

[kinnip]

Quote:
Owwwwwweeee! I vote for the hoe. It's quick and relatively painless.

 

[BabyGirls]

In the 2 years since moving to our house (and inheriting our now only 8 girls) I have never seen a snake in the boxes so this is disturbing. Once he gets in the box not really sure how to get him out with out killing him and both myself and my husband not so great with snakes (and handling them). I figured the Snake out has worked great to keep them away from the house as they will not cross the path of it- guess the smell is terrible for them. I am just afraid my girls will eat the granules I need to sprinkle all around the coop (I love them but they're not the smartest and they're always hungry)

I have enough wild cats I think to keep the mice away and not sure if a snake will hurt a big chicken- I know at least bite them I bet ?

 

[chick4chicks]

Get rid of the sneaky snake any way you can. He is a thief, stealing eggs.

 

[joebryant]

OMG! OMG! OMG!
If I saw a snake in one of my new next boxes, I KNOW that I'd flip out; that's why I built my coops to be as snake-proof as I possibly could. I'm pretty sure that the ONLY way one could get in is through the pop door that's open during the day. No matter, if I ever find one in the coop, after I change my underwear I will close the pop door, go in and catch the $^&&* thing somehow and take him for at least a five-mile trip. I would never harm a non-poisonous snake, but I sure don't want to unintentionally reach into a next box and feel one; just the thought of that's happening gives me the Willies.

Edit: Regarding my "...go in and catch the $^&&* thing...", that would be true only if I couldn't convince Anne that gathering eggs is her job, so it follows that the one who should catch the snake would be...

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Which is why I can fully see into my nest boxes at all times!

I have seen a rat snake in the barn but never in with the chickens.

 

[lovemychicks9]

So what do rat snakes look like and how big do they get? I saw a very brown snake right by my hose spigot last night. He was about a foot long and and as big around as a pencil Kinda tan and perhaps some spots? Did not stick around long enough to find out, but he seems to hang by the water spigot. I bent down to turn off the water and heard something fall or jkump next to in and lookjed down------ AWWWWWWW and I was running as he slithered. What do I do? I love in north central AR.

 

[BabyGirls]

What is even more creepy is that when had shown me on his camera phone the picture and said where it was I freaked out and said we need to go home and get it out of there ASAP. On my way back down to the coop - it was dark, he was carrying the big flash light and just as he shined it my way... I was within 2 feet of walking into a HUGE spider web with a HUGE spider right in the middle- about the size of a quarter in body then legs !!

Oh why do I torture myself- I just keep saying cause you love your girls !

I am worried they will get bitten by the snake so my husband is getting the Snake out TODAY !