Sssssnaaaaakes!

[Bugmom]

Ok, so I put my 6 week old baby’s in the coop with a dog run. 2 chicks disappeared in the following week. I found a rat snake and called my boys. I mistakenly thought that having 6 sons meant that momma would never have to catch snakes….I was wrong! I caught him and relocated him. 3 nights later I had to relocate another about 4 ft long! Mom and I were watching a movie and it was getting late, so I took my flashlight to the coop for a quick look. I found another snake. He was not happy about getting caught so I put my flashlight down and carried to the house for a pillow case. I relocated him. This time I drove him about 3 miles. Upon retrieving my flashlight, I found another rat snake. He was smaller. Again wi took a little trip. Upon retrieving my flashlight…you guessed it, another rat snake! This bad boy was over 6 feet long!!!! After relocating him, I packed up my chick and moved them back to the brooder. It has been 2 weeks and I need my brooder and I need my brooder for new arrivals

 

[BlueBaby]

Sorry that is happening to you. With that many snakes around you, there must be a breeding colony of them near you, maybe even underneath your coop? Can you attach some of that 1/4-inch hardware cloth wire around the outside of the whole dog run, and maybe on the top and bottom of it too? Snakes usually come in by holes that mice have entered, and then if you have chick's or egg's in there, it's an easy meal for them. Snakes can also climb, and I seen one in my backyard a few year's ago that was moving along the top part of our cyclone fence.

 

[Bugmom]

Sorry that is happening to you. With that many snakes around you, there must be a breeding colony of them near you, maybe even underneath your coop? Can you attach some of that 1/4-inch hardware cloth wire around the outside of the whole dog run, and maybe on the top and bottom of it too? Snakes usually come in by holes that mice have entered, and then if you have chick's or egg's in there, it's an easy meal for them. Snakes can also climb, and I seen one in my backyard a few year's ago that was moving along the top part of our cyclone fence.

Yes. Today I am closing gaps between cinder blocks around the base and stapling strips of hardware cloth around the door. There is a gap around both doors.

 

[BlueBaby]

Good luck with doing that! Got to save those future omelet supplier's, right?

 

[1Slayer]

Ok, so I put my 6 week old baby’s in the coop with a dog run. 2 chicks disappeared in the following week. I found a rat snake and called my boys. I mistakenly thought that having 6 sons meant that momma would never have to catch snakes….I was wrong! I caught him and relocated him. 3 nights later I had to relocate another about 4 ft long! Mom and I were watching a movie and it was getting late, so I took my flashlight to the coop for a quick look. I found another snake. He was not happy about getting caught so I put my flashlight down and carried to the house for a pillow case. I relocated him. This time I drove him about 3 miles. Upon retrieving my flashlight, I found another rat snake. He was smaller. Again wi took a little trip. Upon retrieving my flashlight…you guessed it, another rat snake! This bad boy was over 6 feet long!!!! After relocating him, I packed up my chick and moved them back to the brooder. It has been 2 weeks and I need my brooder and I need my brooder for new arrivalsView attachment 3172883

holy moly.....

 

[neo71665]

My choice snake catching device

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry for the losses you have suffered, but good for you for not killing these snakes!
Up here we've never had losses to them, fortunately.
And the only way to keep predators out is with 1/2" hardware cloth, and no openings anywhere larger than 1/2" diameter. Rats and weasels can enter where those snakes can come in, also never good.
Mary