Snake!!!

[5parrots&zoo]

Last night I went out to close my 6 hens in their coop, and was surprised to see 4 of them huddled in the corner by the entry gate. As I approached the coop, Eggsmerelda came flying out of the coop, cackling, then I knew something was up. There was a snake crawling along one of the roosts, towards Sunflower(Ameracauna). I picked up Sunflower from the roost, and put her outside. Then snake slithered on roost toward where Sunflower had been. Not sure what kind of snake it was, but very long and slender. It then crawled off roost, and settled down in corner of coop, figured that would not do, so dear hubby got out gun and shot it. I do not like idea of killing a creature that would not be poisonous, but girls were anxious to go to bed, and it was not an option to let them in coop with intruder. Besides, I do not think Nutmegg(RIR), Cloviss(RIR),Janella(SLW) and Peck(BPR) would have gone in there with that uninvited guest. So this morning my dear hubby patched up the hole that resulted from firing gun.

 

[mulewagon]

It's good you got it - snakes will definitely eat eggs and chicks, and a few people have posted pics of dead hens with snakes wrapped around them. (The snakes were too small to eat the hens, but had crushed them anyway!)

Snakes are great out in the garden, or under the house, but in the chicken pen they're a menace. I've lost 21 chicks this year - now I catch mamas and babies every night to put them in a snake-proof cage.

 

[chi-rn]

Maybe you can get a snake hook for later... http://www.amazon.com/Snake-Hook-44...W5FA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312148143&sr=8-3

 

[RHRanch]

You should try to learn how to identify the snakes that live in your area. In the future you would be able to just remove a non-poisonous snake from your henhouse - maybe with a hook. A lot of the time snakes are actually in a coop trying to hunt rodents, as they can detect the temp and odors left by rats and mice. Many times people think the snake is after thier chickens or eggs when it is actually there to get rodents.

 

[5parrots&zoo]

Thank you for the suggestion for the snake hook. I really do not like to kill a critter that is helpful(hunts mice or rats), but my chickens' welfare comes first. Love my girls!!!

 

[JeffJustJeff]

Eggsmerelda ....LOVE IT. Made me chuckle. My two 'creative chicken' names so far are Pecky Sue and Wyatt Chirp.

 

[hcppam]

Quote:
x2

 

[dufus]

you guys might have snakes trying to get rodents, the ones i've had have been after eggs and biddies. a ruger bearcat with ratshot will change their attitude somewhat, and makes them more agreeable with me. leave my peepers alone... ''SNAKES!!!! IT HAS TO BE SNAKES!!!''

 

[six_eclectic_chickens]

Unrelated to this topic but I think you should read this cause it is important (in my opinoin):

5parrots&zoo :

Do you think you would ever want to raise your own chicks? This is a hard call. I have a rooster that I saved from the stew pot. A friend at work was going to have him for dinner, and he was my first chicken. I have heard that if you want a rooster to run with the girls, you should have 10 to 12 hens. I have 7 hens, and I keep my rooster in a separate pen. I hope I am not making a frustrated old man out of him. But he has free range time almost every evening after I get home from work. I know life would be somewhat easier if I did not have him at all, but he is awfully pretty, and I do love the crowing, also. Plus, he is a big fellow, and my Ameracauna cross is only about half his size. Good luck!

You heard wrong. roosters love being with hens and 7 is plenty. He will lead them around and be happy as can be. You are doing more harm keeping them sepparate. My suggestion is to introduce him slowly and see what happens. We had one rooster and one hen for awhile and he was happy as could be. They are very social birds. Good luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

So how do you handle a snake with a snake hook? do you just bop them on the head with it?