Snakes Trying to Eat Juvenile birds...lost 2 so far

[GiannaT]

How can I keep snakes out of the coop? I've lost two of my feathered-out but not yet mature bantam chickens to snakes trying to eat them overnight. We've been using snake repellent from Tractor Supply and are going to try to seal up holes in the coop with hard cloth...anything else I ought to be doing?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

How can I keep snakes out of the coop? I've lost two of my feathered-out but not yet mature bantam chickens to snakes trying to eat them overnight. We've been using snake repellent from Tractor Supply and are going to try to seal up holes in the coop with hard cloth...anything else I ought to be doing?

Leave no openings over 1/2 inch, exclude the snakes from getting in.

Gary

 

[happyfrenchman]

Find and kill the snakes would be my first goal. Sometimes they are still inside the coop as they do not go far from a steady food source.

 

[centrarchid]

Confirm ID of killer. I would have birds roost up at least 48" above ground where snake cannot climb to. Show picture of coop.

 

[centrarchid]

Night time hunting when nights cool not typical of snakes.

 

[GiannaT]

Night time hunting when nights cool not typical of snakes.

We live in South Texas, we've already had a couple days in the 90's and nights have been in the 70s or 80s.

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture of where birds roost indicating elevations.

 

[Ahavati]

Confirm ID of killer. I would have birds roost up at least 48" above ground where snake cannot climb to. Show picture of coop.

I don't know about that. We had a snake in our coop, 11 feet high on the rafters of the ceiling.

 

[centrarchid]

I don't know about that. We had a snake in our coop, 11 feet high on the rafters of the ceiling.

I do know based on experience with multiple snakes that come have come in regularly over the years. That is why I asked for pictures.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Depends on size of the snake and what's available to climb.
I've had them in rafters and in pens that they had to go over 6' tall hardware cloth panels to get in.
Some snakes live in trees so no doubt they can get over 4' off the ground.