Snakeaway

[mamahen923]

Has anyone used SnakeAway? Is is harmful to the chickens? Will they try to eat it?

 

[bhoyt]

Yes I have used Snakeaway and it is not harmful to chickens. I live in Louisiana and we have loads of chicken snakes. I spread it around my chicken house and have not had a problem with snakes. If chickens did eat it none died from it.

 

[mamahen923]

Thanks for the help. Can't stand snakes and hate losing eggs to them.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

I use it, but I do not use in the coop or pen just around it.
I opened my back door to find a snake on the mat so I sprinkled it around the house and flower beds and have not seen one since last year.

 

[95yj]

just wondering, how big are the snakes? it would take a really big snake to eat a chicken, or even an egg. and most won't go for the eggs unless they are really desperate. I love having snakes around, they clear out all the little vermin like mice and pose less of a threat than a sparrow since they can't spread disease. go ahead and use the repellant if you really want to but just don't kill snakes, they are a valuable part of the ecosystem and are almost always unfairly blamed for missing eggs or chickens.

 

[mamahen923]

Agreed. I have killed them before when they had the bulge of an egg inside them, but I'd prefer to avoid the situation if I can. Most we have relocated. I don't know of any other critter that takes eggs and leaves behind no broken shells. Am I wrong?

 

[mmpb1]

Thanks for the comments on Snakeaway. I battle chicken snakes every summer. Once I bought a trio of beautiful bantams, one roo and two pullets just ready to start laying. Put them in their "secure" new cage at night and the next morning found the roo and one hen, along with a snake with a bulge too big to let him get out of the cage. No relocation for that one!

Chicken snakes also snack on purple martin eggs and babies. Snake guards on the poles help. I depend on kitties Big AL and Tom-Tom to keep the snake population under control at the house, but Snakeaway sounds like what I need around the chicken house.