Snakes!!!!

[chickenmom1]

Hey everyone, Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!
We just moved into our in-law's place, (mom passed last year) and aquired a chicken coop with 22 beauties. Twice now I have had to tackle snakes. The coop is on a cement floor and is pretty old. The door has a big hole in it where the chickens come in and out. I was thinking about a new door and maybe one of the electric door openers. Someday I hope to get a new one but finances being what they are right now, until then, I was hoping for some advice on how to protect the precious eggs they lay from snakes. Appreciate any advice expensive or not, I have grown to love being a chickenmom.
j

 

[RAREROO]

I have heard that moth balls will keep snakes away.

But also if you get some 1x1 inch plastic mesh netting, around here you can get it at wal mart in a 50 ft roll, 3 ft high. but when snakes try to go through it, the thin mesh gets embedded and caught between their scales and traps them, I have caught two snakes with this stuff. But the bad thing is is that you have to get the snake untaged to get it out ( either dead or alive) and try to do that would having to cut the netting up too bad.

 

[suzeeg]

My Mom used to tape a fish hook (or rubber band) around an egg and tie it off with fishing string. That would get rid of them for good!

 

[missred871]

dust sevins dust around the out side of your entire pen. that will kill any snake that comes in contact with it...but KEEP IT AWAY FROM THE CHICKENS it is okay for them to be near it but if they eat it....well they meet the same fate as the snakes, so sprinkle a steady barrier about a foot away from the coop all the way around it, like a wall and that will cure you of your snake problem in a hurry hope that helps

 

[chickenmom1]

Thanks everyone, I will definately try some new ideas. Can't wait to get a new coop though.
j

 

[Moabite]

How many eggs will a snake eat? If you have a good snake like a Bullsnake (gopher snake), maybe you should let it have a few eggs as payment for keeping rodents away. Just a thought.

 

[chickenmom1]

You would think that, but I have 22 hens and the snake ate anywhere from 4-6 a day!!!!!! I thought the girls were getting old. I was so wrong.
It was a black snake about 5 foot. My husband took it out. I am going to talk to him about making sure there are no holes in the coop and maybe get a new door. We are disenfecting the coop today and I will give a good once over.
j

 

[suzeeg]

Like I said, if you tape a fish hook to an egg and a fishing line to the hook and tie it off you will catch your snake.

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