Snakes *disturbing photos*

[True Patriot]

BTW, a snake isn't a animal...

How so?

 

[lazy gardener]

I would also have killed it. Not debating the decision to kill a snake. Nor, am I judging! Hope you didn't take the ongoing snake discussion to be meant that way. Choices need to be made based on circumstances. I will do what ever it takes to defend my family, my property, my garden, and my animals.

 

[bobbi-j]

In response to the on going debating. Which is why I posted this originally. Yes, I killed this snake. No, I don't normally kill all the snakes I come across. I have about 500+ acres of federal land behind where I live. Most snakes get relocated to that area. Even the venomous ones. I've relocated 3 Rattlers in the last month, and at least 6 others. That being said, this one was killed for this reason. It found an easy food source, it knows where it is and will return. I will protect my livestock and pets from any predator. Had I found it in the garden it would be roaming still. However, I found it in the coop digesting two of my 4 week old chicks. If you would have done something different, you have the right to. I don't judge based on kill or no kill preference.

In my coop, with chicks inside it - I would have killed it, too. You are right - it found an easy food source and would have come back until the food was gone. No judgement here!

 

[lazy gardener]

Snake is most definitely in the animal kingdom.

https://www.reference.com/science/plants-animals-classified-78dc7bde7e0fbdbf#

Plants and animals are classified based upon their prevailing characteristics and traits. Biological organisms with similar characteristics are placed in the same group. The order of classification goes from the kingdom of the biological life form down to the genus and species of the organism. The five kingdoms are animals, plants, protists, fungi and moneran. In descending order, organisms are placed in a kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and then species. The kingdom denotes the largest and most general group. The phylum narrows down the general group a little farther, all the way down to the genus and species.

 

[True Patriot]

No one here has offended me. Just clearing the air on the reason for what I did. I actually welcome different opinions. Listening to others and educating ourselves is what life is about. I started the thread to be open minded and hear what others think. It would be foolish to take offense to it.

 

[aart]

I would just do an apron...nix the pavers, unless you put them inside the run to keep the bird from digging down along the run wall.


Good examples of apron installation, tho I'd not recommend 1/2" HC...go with 14ga 1x2 or 1x1, will hold up much longer and is easier to lay flat.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Amazing that little head could fit around the lumps inside snake. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Trux]

Definitely not a ball python. That's a rat snake. You want those around, they prevent rodent infestations, plus it would take wide-scale extermination efforts to remove all the snakes from an area. If you managed to kill off all the snakes, you'd see an explosion of rodents, which in addition to potentially threatening small birds will pose a major illness risk to you. They're a vital part of the ecosystem. Any, and I mean any, wide-scale predator removal leads to ecological disaster.
In addition, despite the instinctive unease people often have for snakes, they are not evil. Like every other nonsapient animal on the planet, they are incapable of malice.
If you must kill a snake, decapitation by itself isn't a humane method, the head can stay alive for long periods of time. You have to completely crush the skull to destroy the brain. No matter what you think of snakes, they're living animals, and at the very least they deserve the respect of a clean death.

@Bunnylady that's a beauty! You'll never have a rat problem with that lovely hunter around. I've seen babies of this kind, but never one that large.

 

[Trux]

Snake doesn't understand 'this belongs to someone else'. It just understands 'this is food, and I'm hungry'. Not in so many words, of course, but the concept. Don't blame the snake for doing what a snake has evolved to do. Blame the lack of having ensured the snake can't get in, and appreciate the beautiful, remarkably unique creature that you're privileged to encounter.

Even a venomous snake really doesn't want to bite you, and a large percentage of venomous snake bites are 'dry' - meaning that it doesn't inject venom, unless it's been seriously harassed before biting. That's a waste of resources. It takes energy to make that venom, and the snake doesn't want to waste it on something it can't eat. I'd much rather have snakes (I was delighted to see a baby bull snake slither under my shed the other day) than have Hantavirus.

 

[Trux]

Snakes aren't animals, they're.....well, they're snakes

Reptiles

 

[Trux]

How so?

It's a reptile