Snake problem...

[Bridget399]

They are black rat snakes.

 

[BigByrd24]

About a week ago I found one in my Chicken/Guinea yard died it was 7 1/2 ft long.

 

[Faverolle]

Wow, that was a pretty good size rat snake! Do you have a lot of them around your property? Guineas will not help with snake that size.

 

[bja105]

Their probably going after bats in your attic. Get rid of the bats.

Here's one in our camp.

 

[TexasVet]

Guineas will eat smaller snakes, but I don't think they're much use against large ones. My neighbor swears by cats... she's got 17 of 'em, but no snakes. She says several cats will gang up on any snake they see.

I've got rat snakes around my place too. Last year I killed several that were nearly 5 feet long. They eat eggs, eat chicks, and kill chickens. I hate them!

Good news yesterday... I have a duck sitting on 7 eggs. Then she had 5. Then 3. I knew a snake was getting them, but I couldn't find it. So yesterday I'm checking on the duck and smell something terrible. Traced the smell and found two dead rat snakes tangled up in the bird netting I'd tossed on the ground when moving the chicken run.

So now I've got bunches of bird netting all around the duck house, and I'm just waiting for the next victim.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

 

[ruby]

Before I got my Guinea's I could count on a snake a week. After the Guineas, we have only seen one snake. It was a poisonous one too! The Guineas were relentless, and I only have two. They did chase it all over the yard. My husband killed because it was poisonous. I do like the guinea fowl.

 

[texasbartrambaby]

I would suggest guineas too - I've heard all sorts of good things about them but was unsure if they would help with our "little" snake problem. A rattler killed a few of my quail and a nice roo a couple of weeks ago and DH found another today while mowing. I'm curious to see if they will help with your snakes and if anyone knows if they also help with rattlers.

 

[Bridget399]

Thanks for the input! But, I have a few questions... Do I have to put guineas in at night? I read on a thread that someone had bought them and ended up having a really hard time with them. They couldn't get them in at night, and they were really mean, and noisy.

I haven't seen any snakes in about a week or two. We've sealed up any "holes" on our house (they were living in the attic) and any "holes" from the attic to the inside of our house. I was really just hoping that their (guineas) presence would keep the snakes away.
I am going to try to find someone to buy a pair of guineas of off (near me). I thought it would be easier to raise them, so they would be used to me, the property, and my chickens.

As for getting cats, I have 2 house cats that go out during the day. They do bring me "presents", but never anything larger then a salmander...

And strangely, I haven't seen the strays all summer, so far... I hope something didn't get them.

 

[Bridget399]

Quote:
Did you find it on top of the TV?! It looks to be big!

We've sealed up any "holes" from the attic to the house and any "holes" from the outside to the inside. The first one we got was about 5 1/2 ft. but really skinny. I think it was hungry and thats why it made its way out of the attic.

 

[NightHawksShadow]

I have seven cats. Went two years here without snakes, then WHAM last week of may- first week of june 5 snakes, the first 2 were out where the cats dont go by one of my dogs, in the shed, the dog found them and would've ate them if i hadn't got them. Then, found one in house, it came in under house and must have come in the spot where my bathroom pipes run and the panel on other side of the pipes isn't totally covered since its inside a cabinent...lol. I got scared to death, the snakes waited till the week my mom was here staying to show their heads, 5am, and i hear "HEY HEY WAKE UP WAKE UP! GET IT GET IT THERES A SNAKE!!!!!!!!" I'm like geez. two minutes awake and i've caught 2 snakes before this one within the past week, and have no issues getting them bymyself...In the house, in the hall that leads to bathroom in question and stairs, with 'help' from a toilet plunger and my mom who was histerical because the snake was going towards my daughters room, and low and behold, i get bit with help.
Then two days later another black snake, and then two garter snakes, one scared me while working on my new chicken coop and run, it came out from under the shed i'm converting, and then another in the chicken coop.
But my cats will kill them, first garter snake wasn't but 2 ft and he got eaten by cats right after startling me. My cats dont like them, and the thing is cats don't necissarily kill them, though they will smaller ones, but larger snakes they will aggrevate the snake till the snake retreats. And cats also are controling the prey population around your home and yard, so a snake is less likely to come up, but i think with my chicks and eggs, the snakes are really interested this year, to many things to eat and not enough cats to protect 2 acres. lol.