Snake season

[Big C]

Went out to gather egges this evening and there were none. Odd I thought. Looked all around the coops and runs thinking that maybe the hade decided to lay elsewhere.
After, I was digging post holes for 3 new runs and noticed some movement in the grass out of the corner of my eye. Took a closer look and spotted a 5-6 ft long snake slithering right by me. By the time I made it to my truck (parked 20 ft away) and got my 12 gauge the snake was already thru the wire into the coop apparently looking for more eggs or my coop of banties.
Just caught the last few feet of it and shot it as it was crawling out. Black with orange markings. It was in a coop of 5 red sexlinks that like to roost in the nest boxes. Last night I had noticed that they were roosting on the roost provided many months ago.
Now I know why...
I hate snakes and get the willies just looking at them.
If they are going to be a predator to my flock and hard work raising them then they get dead.
Spread sulfur around the perimeter, hopefully this will help.
From now on when I drive up after work I'll get out of my truck and have lethal retaliation within arms reach.

 

[TexasVet]

I'm with you... I hate snakes! Killed a couple last year that were nearly 5 feet long; a .22 takes 'em out real quick! They were fat and shiny from all the eggs they'd been stealing.

Killed two by accident this year. I had removed the bird netting from the top of the coop and dropped it on the ground near the pop holes. A week or so later I noticed that "something's dead" smell and started looking around for the source... two dead rat snakes tangled up in the bird netting. One of them had two large lumps in its midsection.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

 

[mac80103]

Good job!!

Some people here seem to think snakes should be ignored or relocated. Even the non poisonous ones eat eggs AND baby chicks. I have killed one bull snake and 2 rattle snakes this summer, all too close to the coop. If you want to keep chickens, it is your responsibility to protect them and their babies!!

 

[kikescove.com]

I made a great impression on my daughters slumber party crowd last night. I was giving a bird tour and spotted a snake in a pen. I went in, grabbed him by the tail and swung him through the air and smacked him on the upper third of his body on the roof of their shelter. All those girls just sat theri in Awe. LOL Check out my thread tradgedy averted.

 

[ChicknJ]

kikescove.com :

I made a great impression on my daughters slumber party crowd last night. I was giving a bird tour and spotted a snake in a pen. I went in, grabbed him by the tail and swung him through the air and smacked him on the upper third of his body on the roof of their shelter. All those girls just sat theri in Awe. LOL Check out my thread tradgedy averted.

that's kinda funny, imagine the stories those girls will tell.

Last week I caught a 4 ft rat snake in the coop with an egg well into its jaws. I lost 4 youngsters in the last month, so time for this snake to bid all a fond adieu, ya think I could find a shovel? Ax? Machete... Nooooo, only thing I could find was a sledgehammer.... messy yet so effective, and ya, I'm a girl,​

 

[007Dawn]

Calling all snake haters pleasseeeee come to Central FL! We have 141,000 anacodaes tagged here. There is a bounty for killing them and turning them in.

I"m so afraid of them! PLEasseeee come to FL!

Kill all you want. I'll make you breakfast, pack you a lunch and even dinner if you would like! Just kill the monosters oh please!

 

[MsBentleyboy]

A black cow snake got into my coop a month ago and ate one of my 4 week old baby chicks. I was devasted. I was also surprised by the size of the snake and wondered how he could slither through the chicken wire with his size... he did! But he would have never made it out until that baby was digested because it fattened him up. We shot him before he had that opportunity. Just when you think you've made your coop foolproof.... ughh!!

 

[timberghstt]

well reading these posts answers my question will rat snakes eat eggs. Wife and kids caught a 6 footer right before dark in a coop I just finished. The adult hens are too big for them right? and my pullets are pretty good size now, a month or so from laying age. I'd rather not kill the thing if I ain't gotta, the kids have it in a pet carrier. I can take my mossberg to it if I have to, but would rather turn it loose somewhere. Now poisonus snakes I hate with a purple passion and will blast to smithereens any and all I see.