SNAKES WHAT TO DO AROUND MY COOP?
SNAKES
- Thread starter nanasbitties
- Start date
Depends on kind and size, and why they are there.
Details needed, some species not worthy of concern.
Details needed, some species not worthy of concern.
I hope lots of answers come in with this..... I just had a close encounter of the not-nice-kind with a rat snake on a fence post right where I was going to put my hand to close a gate. Grant you it was dark, the fence post was dark gray and the snake was black (rat snake/chicken snake.) Ick.
While I was traveling a snake killed one of my chicks too (about 5 1/2 week old).....
Here is all I can think of:
1. Soil sulfur is supposed to repel snakes....they won't want to crawl over it. ( the smell maybe?) A 1 foot wide barrier on the ground may deter the snake.
2. Cats - will kill the mice that attract the snakes
3. Some minnow traps can capture snakes. I have had zero luck with this one.
4. Netting (like bird netting--) can entangle the snake and they can't get out
But I haven't 'caught' a snake with any of these methods. Best way to get rid of them is directly execute them. (but then you have to be in the right place at the right time....and that may take some doing.) I just shot at the snake on the fence post -- and I'm sorry to say...I missed him and he crawled away in the grass. (not sure if it had been light I would have successfully gotten him either.....drat).
While I was traveling a snake killed one of my chicks too (about 5 1/2 week old).....
Here is all I can think of:
1. Soil sulfur is supposed to repel snakes....they won't want to crawl over it. ( the smell maybe?) A 1 foot wide barrier on the ground may deter the snake.
2. Cats - will kill the mice that attract the snakes
3. Some minnow traps can capture snakes. I have had zero luck with this one.
4. Netting (like bird netting--) can entangle the snake and they can't get out
But I haven't 'caught' a snake with any of these methods. Best way to get rid of them is directly execute them. (but then you have to be in the right place at the right time....and that may take some doing.) I just shot at the snake on the fence post -- and I'm sorry to say...I missed him and he crawled away in the grass. (not sure if it had been light I would have successfully gotten him either.....drat).
Snakes are bad this year as we had such a mild winter. I read somewhere where snakebites are really up for this spring. Yikes! We killed a copperhead just yesterday. Went to get some straw to put in a nesting box and it was curled up in the top of the bale. Thankfully it was cool yesterday morning and the snake was sluggish. Husband executed it with a shovel.
We don't kill the blacksnakes, just the copperheads. However, I don't want any snakes eating my eggs or messing with my chickens.
Would love to know of a way to discourage snakes and to keep them away from an area. At present all I know is to keep weeds and grass cut low so you can see them and beware of places like bales of straw, under tarps, wood piles, rocks, etc. - all the places that snakes love to hide in.
We don't kill the blacksnakes, just the copperheads. However, I don't want any snakes eating my eggs or messing with my chickens.
Would love to know of a way to discourage snakes and to keep them away from an area. At present all I know is to keep weeds and grass cut low so you can see them and beware of places like bales of straw, under tarps, wood piles, rocks, etc. - all the places that snakes love to hide in.
If your chickens are at least 3/4 grown no worries but you may still have a rodent problem. If you have chicks and cannot tolerate loosing one occasionally, then look into snake proofing areas where young birds are kept. Coops made of hardware cloth will keep out snakes able to eat chicks. Plug holes snakes can use to bypass coop wire. Also get to now what types of snakes are present. Most are harmless even if they bite. Learn how to catch and move them a couple hundred yards away. Some will come back so think of it as mowing lawn where you are not trying to kill but simply control.
Or get an otherwise good for nothing peafowl as they seem inclined to eat snakes. Others have indicated guinea fowl give snakes a hard time as well, even those too large for birds to eat.
Or get an otherwise good for nothing peafowl as they seem inclined to eat snakes. Others have indicated guinea fowl give snakes a hard time as well, even those too large for birds to eat.
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I live in Thailand and used to have a problem with pythons eating my adult ducks at night! I relocated the ducks and my chickens are all locked in secure coops at night now. No more attacks.
All the other snakes are no problem with the birds, as they are don't eat birds in their diet. Most eat rodents or frogs, and some eat other snakes. I actually like snakes - they are very interesting. I just make sure I keep the grass cut shorts so I can see them and also don't leave things laying about for them to sleep under.
The best ones are the cobra!
If you are getting a lot of snakes I could mean you have a rodent problem attracting them. The actually are helping you in rodent control!
If you get rid of the rodents then the snakes will disperse and look for food somewhere else.
For the chicken coop, use fine strong netting around all the openings to stop snakes getting inside. Leave the area around the coop clear so no places for the snakes to shelter. Sort out any rodent problem. Then you should have no more problems with snakes.
Good luck.
All the other snakes are no problem with the birds, as they are don't eat birds in their diet. Most eat rodents or frogs, and some eat other snakes. I actually like snakes - they are very interesting. I just make sure I keep the grass cut shorts so I can see them and also don't leave things laying about for them to sleep under.
The best ones are the cobra!
If you are getting a lot of snakes I could mean you have a rodent problem attracting them. The actually are helping you in rodent control!
If you get rid of the rodents then the snakes will disperse and look for food somewhere else.
For the chicken coop, use fine strong netting around all the openings to stop snakes getting inside. Leave the area around the coop clear so no places for the snakes to shelter. Sort out any rodent problem. Then you should have no more problems with snakes.
Good luck.
Not really a specific rodent problem with me. I just happen to live in the woods and we have wildlife at the door all the time. Walked out this morning and almost bumped into a doe and fawn. The wildlife has adjusted in the almost 30 years we've been here and they have a path that goes through the woods but around our house.
We have two dogs and their scent has kept most of the wildlife out of our cleared yard area. Our cat is great at getting most of the mice around here but mice love the leaves and the fallen trees so they're going to be here no matter what I do. For that reason all chicken food comes into our house in the evening. Stored food is in trash containers with locking tops kept away from the coop.
Snakes are just a part of living in this region. There's a lake nearby and lot's of woods between the lake and us. One of the things I had to accept when we moved here.
Fall is the only time that the mice try to get in the house. Guess they start getting cold outside. However, our mouse eating cat is on alert and get's very fat that time of year!
We have two dogs and their scent has kept most of the wildlife out of our cleared yard area. Our cat is great at getting most of the mice around here but mice love the leaves and the fallen trees so they're going to be here no matter what I do. For that reason all chicken food comes into our house in the evening. Stored food is in trash containers with locking tops kept away from the coop.
Snakes are just a part of living in this region. There's a lake nearby and lot's of woods between the lake and us. One of the things I had to accept when we moved here.
Fall is the only time that the mice try to get in the house. Guess they start getting cold outside. However, our mouse eating cat is on alert and get's very fat that time of year!
- Mar 21, 2010
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Was glad to see this post. I have a VERY broody hen which I can not seem to break. Had her on 3 eggs for 10 days, yesterday they (the eggs) disappeared. No shells or anything. I suspect a snake as we have an electric fence and wire, also no injured hens. Any other ways to deter the snake from coming in the nest box, I don't mind donating a few of the other eggs, but would like for this hen to finally be able to hatch something and be able to go on her way. Any success stories with the sulfur?
Finally I was in a store and found the soil sulfur.
I have my chicks in a small plastic coop with an attached welded wire run...but the welded wires are in a 2" x 1" grid...so for a snake....like a highway. That is where the snake nailed one of my chicks while I was out of town. I have sprinkled about 1-linear foot of soil sulfur on top of the ground around the perimeter of the wire mesh and the coop. It is thick enough to be able to see a faint yellow trace on the ground. I feel it is pretty organic and won't hurt the chicks or the chickens that walk over it in the ben where the smaller coop and run is placed.
Haven't had a snake show up---but don't know if the sulfur is causative or coincidental.. No test case without sulfur to compare with.....but it gives me some slight comfort of mind to think I am doing something.
Any chance your broody could be contained in something that has hardware cloth around it? Or could you put some of that bird netting around an area where she is so that she may be protected from snakes??
ETA - Oh soil sulfur is harmful if it gets into a pond where there are fish....if the place the soil sulfur is sprinkled is in a run off area to a stream or creek..... then the fish could be at risk. The nearest pond here is 1/4 mile or more from my coops.
I have my chicks in a small plastic coop with an attached welded wire run...but the welded wires are in a 2" x 1" grid...so for a snake....like a highway. That is where the snake nailed one of my chicks while I was out of town. I have sprinkled about 1-linear foot of soil sulfur on top of the ground around the perimeter of the wire mesh and the coop. It is thick enough to be able to see a faint yellow trace on the ground. I feel it is pretty organic and won't hurt the chicks or the chickens that walk over it in the ben where the smaller coop and run is placed.
Haven't had a snake show up---but don't know if the sulfur is causative or coincidental.. No test case without sulfur to compare with.....but it gives me some slight comfort of mind to think I am doing something.
Any chance your broody could be contained in something that has hardware cloth around it? Or could you put some of that bird netting around an area where she is so that she may be protected from snakes??
ETA - Oh soil sulfur is harmful if it gets into a pond where there are fish....if the place the soil sulfur is sprinkled is in a run off area to a stream or creek..... then the fish could be at risk. The nearest pond here is 1/4 mile or more from my coops.
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carolinasculpture,
The hen might have accidentally broke a egg and ate it and the other eggs, my chickens have done that before.
The hen might have accidentally broke a egg and ate it and the other eggs, my chickens have done that before.
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