Do I need to worry about snakes in my coop? I found a 5ft rat snake or black snake in my coop this morning... (not to mention my 16 yo DS decided to CATCH it and it bit him) I do have some 2 week old bantams out there, but they are in a pen inside the coop with 1/2 inch netting around them. Will they bother full size chickens? It may have been after mice, but I have been here 5 years and this is the first year I have had chickens AND the first year I have EVER seen a snake in my barn. Ideas? Suggestions?
Two week old bantams would make a tasty snack...Once chickens are full grown egg poaching would be you biggest worry. Sounds to me like you need to examine your coop and enhance it's predator proofness.
How do I keep a snake out? The bantams are inside another pen in the "big girl" coop. I converted one of my horse stalls... Should I add the hardware cloth up the sides more? The snake got in through the "door" and it is not as secure as the rest of the coop. I could line the wire on the door with the hardware cloth, but how would I keep it from getting UNDER the door? The ground is HARD as a ROCK and I don't think I can dig any wire into the ground. My horses are usually pretty good at keeping things out of the barn... I have seen my TWH stomp on snakes and chase dogs away... I think she missed this particular snake though. It is fun to watch them "protect" the chickens (mine free-range most of the day).
TRy to do the best you can.Snakes can climb very well also. A snake was actually found inside of a wood duck box 4 ft in the air.It had already claimed 2 eggs and more was missing than that.Usually grown fowl are rather safe,but sometimes you'll come across one whose eyes are bigger than their stomach (per say).The have been known to take a smaller bird down,and just not be able to eat it.
Maybe I need to use my spare bedroom as my coop (I know, I know... I can't do that)... It is hard enough to lose an animal to old age, but to lose one because I can't keep it safe will be hard. I just moved the babies outside because they were outgrowing their "house" coop... so I build a 5x3 small pen/coop for the barn... plus they can get used to the big girls out there. Should I bring them back inside at night until they are bigger?
If a rat snake is big enough it can eat a bantam with no problem. Believe me, I've seen it! They don't seem to bother large fowl, but they will eat your eggs as well. They can get through really tiny holes, so it is hard to completely predator proof against them. Getting rid of the mice will reduce the snake problem, but not completely eliminate it. I would work on getting rid of those mice. One less food source for the snake.
I am sure there are mice, but I honestly haven't seen any droppings and the feed is kept in a garbage can... Will they go after mice before the baby chicks? or are the baby chicks slower and they go for them first? Will the older chickens try and run off a snake? I thought I heard something about chickens eating small snakes from a friend of mine (a long time ago)... (Maybe I'm just overly tired and can't think straight). I am not worried about the eggs... I care more about my chickens (didn't know I would be so attached to them )
This may be a wives tale but I do it . I pour lime around my girls run and put mothballs out . The lime burns the snake if they crawl across it supposedly . I also have golf balls laying about also ,if a snake swallows a golf ball he will end up dead . Control the loose feed that attracts the mice and like others have said that will decrease snake visits . Be vigilant because once a snake finds a food source it will hang around .
Quote:I can do that... How often do you put the lime out? Do they leave it alone? (guess same questions about the mothballs). Will pick up some golf balls tomorrow.
I just keep lime around it all the time and as the moth balls melt , I just sprinkle more around the outer perimeter . Some may laugh but I got some plastic easter eggs that open up and i put a real egg in it and have several of those laying around the coop and yard . More than anything make your coop as rodent proof as possible . I don't know a lot about chickens yet , but have raised pigeons for quite awhile . I am sure the same principals apply about the food chain . Eggs, feed , mice and snakes . I put golf balls in my pigeon nest boxes also . Get some el cheapo range balls .