snakes eating eggs

[Bear Foot Farm]

Sprayed a little near her and she retreated into my feed shed

I imagine you'd have gotten the same reaction spraying plain water.​

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I previously had snake trouble and dealt with it using a ceramic bait egg.

Today a local chicken farmer told me how he deals with snakes. I plan to add this to my arsenal:
* buy deer netting at Home Depot (or similar store), size is 7' x 100' with 1/2 inch grid
* run it around chicken area, coiled like Hollywood prison camp concertina wire
* check for snakes every so often

He said that he pulled out a 5 foot rat snake yesterday.

 

[ccshambhala]

that sounds great nwfl - glad to hear you are having some success

I will have to try some essential oils next

the mesh sounds like an interesting idea Chicken.Lytle - it might help to keep the eggs safe while catching the snakes for relocation. I am a lil worried the mesh would cut them up when they got scared and tried to get away tho -what was the farmer's experience? I can't bring myself to use a ceramic egg

I appreciate the suggestions

 

[ncwormfarmer]

I have unintentionally caught snakes in some bird/deer netting I had over some blueberry bushes. I agree that they will keep the eggs safe, but probably will damage the snakes. The one I had was pretty tangled up in it. It was cut up and then stuck in the sun. It was a huge pain to try to untangle the guy without further hurting him or me getting bit. In the end, I had to cut the snake out of the netting but he still ventured on to serpent heaven. It is a great idea, but if you just want to relocate, you might want to avoid this strategy.

 

[ncwormfarmer]

Also, newbie question... how big does a snake have to be to eat a chicken egg? And how do they digest them?
-steven

 

[ccshambhala]

thanx steven/ncwormfarmer - that is what I was afraid of so I will have to avoid the mesh myself! We usually see snakes 3 1/2-4' or more. And have found them in the coop with the obvious egg-lump-or-two in their belly (which often worries me because we've seen snakes I wouldn't think could fit -go right thru chicken wire - I'd hate to see one try with an egg lump in it's belly!) I do not know how big one would have to be to eat an egg - probably just big enough to get it's mouth around the egg! One year we did find a d'uccle rooster dead on the ground with no obvious sign of injury except a wet looking head - we were sure a snake tried its luck to fit it in its mouth - but only got far enough to suffocate it before realizing it would not work

Um... I'm not sure what you mean by how do they digest em. I am guessing their digestive enzymes work to break it down just like anything else? But I am by no means a scientist lol

 

[anderson8505]

From what I've read, none of the essential oils, etc actually work as repellents. Moth balls are poisonous. Since you don't want to injure the snakes, I'd work on keeping them from getting in the coop. They've figured out the easy meals you have in your backyard; they'll continue to grow and breed.