Snakes Kill Chickens!

[adeleroy8]

Okay.....I know this is an old post.....this just happened to me tonight. A week ago I found a black snake....5' long in my nesting box...I'm sure it got a couple of eggs down. I picked it up out of the box and put it near a shed where I definitely have mice. Didn't want to kill the snake. Tonight....got home a little late, went to the coop to secure the flock and noticed something weird about one of my chickens. It was dark so I couldn't see. I put my hand in and felt something strange. Had my husband run inside to grab a flashlight. Sure enough that same snake had one of my hens tied in a knot. I grabbed the snake and untwisted it....I got my hen freed. I had no idea a black snake would harm a full grown hen. Needless to say, as much as I hated to kill that snake....we killed it. My husband didn't want it left alive the first time.....it was definitely not going to be left alive after what we just witnessed.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

I heard geese will eliminate all of the snakes

. They are BIG snake eaters!

So are my chickens,, any snake that wanders into their territory is met with extreme prejudice. The whole flock will chase after it pecking it to death and then gleefully devour it. For the most part all we have are garter snakes and pine snakes,, but garters can get 6-8 feet long and pines can be pretty aggresive at times. The small grass snakes and red bellies are just a light snack to them.

I've had the best luck with Federal and Winchester snake repellant although Remington repellent also works well. Just remember to aim the repellent right between their beady little eyeballs.

Those make wonderful repellants

It works great on coons and foxes as well. I find it works best though if you use it in conjunction with Lead poisoning,, just to make sure

 

[1FlewOver]

OK....Let me start off by saying.....it really bothers me when people kill snakes indiscriminately and I really am a snake lover....and I commend you for trying to give this snake a chance and for recognizing the benificial side of these animals.....

Now...YES! Snakes kill chickens and eat eggs.....You must keep certain ones separate from chickens....(and if they get in once....they will come back for more, everytime)....(good restaurant, great food, buffet, and free!!!!)

Soooo....the solution is to separate the two....if physical barriers aren't getting the job done....as previously mentioned: "Winchester and Remington both make excellent repellents ".....

Unfortunately, really any snake that will help control mice and rats will also feast on chickens and eggs....so...it's a double edged sword...and snake proofing isn't easy....

I have heard snakes do not like smoke....I wonder if liquid smoke might act as a detterent?

But....if a similar situation occurs....I doubt repellents are going to help....either relocate far, far away....or dispatch ASAP.....

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

done get me wrong. .. I love snakes.. have had several as pets in my long life... however.. if I do have to make a choice.. my birds take precidence.. and that goes for ANY predator...... fortunately like I said.. my chickens are pretty efficient snake hunters themselves so I usually don't have to make the choice

 

[1FlewOver]

...

done get me wrong. .. I love snakes.. have had several as pets in my long life... however.. if I do have to make a choice.. my birds take precidence.. and that goes for ANY predator...... fortunately like I said.. my chickens are pretty efficient snake hunters themselves so I usually don't have to make the choice[/squote]

That's exactly what I'm saying....I don't begrudge anyone killing a snake that poses an actual threat to anyone's property....or are really a nuisance.....

This is my very simple....very easy ....proposition....to those that kill indescrimately....and have that mantra "....The only good snake is a dead snake ".....

Is to spend a very small amount of time researching snakes....and then....if they still want to kill them....at least they aren't going to be doing totally ignorant....

But maybe some will realize they have been afraid and are killing some snakes that can be helpful.....

It's really the whole lack of logic and reasoning that gets me....Killing a harmless beneficial snake is not going to help if their kids come across a venomous snake they haven't killed yet....

Some of them may be killing king snakes without even knowing it....which kill and eat venomous snakes....how is that "protecting" their family????

So don't get me wrong either....this is like hunting 101.... identify your target....and don't kill indescrimately.....

 

[trudyg]

I will kill any snake I find in my yard. Period. They get into the house--I found a snake skin in my attic!

 

[myhenSunrise]

No seriously all the snakes here in south Australia are dangerous. ...brown snakes and red bellied blacks where I live and the brownies are known to chase people.....eewwww

I do not think I would survive out in Australia, lol, we have a lot of garter snakes out here, and every time I see one, I freeze up and have a hard time breathing, still not sure why!

 

[1FlewOver]

I will kill any snake I find in my yard.  Period.  They get into the house--I found a snake skin in my attic! 

SOOOOO.....You can't kill 'em all?????

Did you see any rat poop???? Or just the snake skin?????

Have a nice day....and a Happy 4th....

 

[1FlewOver]

This is the one thing thats freaking me.....all our snakes are deadly...horrid things.
The 'palace' area and coop are being built to be completely pest (fox/snake/raptor) proof but you cant guarantee it and i really dont want to bump into a snake.

I find it hard to believe "all" your snakes are deadly....but I do know you guys have it rough as you have a prolific varied population containing some of the most deadliest in the world.....

Move to Ireland....(it's not as hot there either.....)

 

[1FlewOver]

First. I apologize for my snide remarks- that was unkind if me.

Just like we like to keep chickens some people enjoy keeping snakes.
No animals were created as domestic pets, all of them were wild at some point.
The south eastern United States has a large and growing problem with invasive snakes, mostly Burmese pythons. These were originally brought to the United States as pets but were either released by owners or escaped. They have no natural predators here and the population in the wild has boomed. They are taking food resources from the natural species and upsetting the natural order in dome areas.

Point being- Humans really know how to screw things up!! Lol

Yep....you touched on something that irritates the crap out of me.....

See...just as much as I try to push people to educate themselves and not kill beneficial native snakes....this deal in Florida and several other southern states has me fuming.....
w
Our government....almost completely eradicated the wild wolf population in this country....and ....who did they do it?

By offering a bounty....yet they spend untold amounts in taxpayer money by trying to have government agencies and employees solve the problem.....it ain't working.....

So....let the public at them....offer a bounty....and even crackheads will be out killing these harmful non-native invasive snakes.....

BTW: Although a few were undoubtedly released by individuals....they were too few and far between to form a breeding population.....I don't remember the exact details....but a hurricane caused a massive release...that put enough snakes together in the wild to start breeding...Crap....a $200 bounty back then would have rounded up the population in a week or two....

Edit: BTW: After spending huge amounts of money to nearly eradicate the wolf....now our tax dollars are working hard to re-establish them.....Just like our government spends $1,000 dollars for a pair of pliers.....buys 10,000.....then dumps them off for $2 a piece as "Government Surplus"..... Happy Independence Day all.....