Texas

[Ren2014]

Rooster, I love your Chocolate Orpingtons. I have never seen those before. Beautiful!

Ren, what is going on with you and your snakes??? I am sorry they are hanging around your place.

I don't know but I'm telling you I'm about ready to move

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

They are all GORGEOUS

That looks like some dry ground they are on. I don't think we have any dry spots here, lol.

I have 12 chicks from the last hatch.Three extras if you want to pick them up.

 

[TexasLisa]

Ren, I just saw your pond. That is a beautiful pond and I love the bush!

Where are the dogs when you see the snakes?

I found this on another site: (Rooster will like the last tip)

So, bottom line, you don't want these guys hanging around inside your run or coop/duck house. Here are some tips on making your coop area less desirable:

http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/08/snake-in-duck-house-6-tips-to-repelling.html

1.) Keep your coop mouse-free. Read HERE for tips.
2.) Collect eggs as often as you can and leave golf balls in the nests.
3.) Use the smallest gauge wire possible on all vents and your pen/run.
4.) Trim tall grasses and remove fallen logs and branches around the run where snakes can hide.
5.) Check nesting boxes and floor of coop/house before locking up at night for hiding snakes.
6.) Sprinkle sulfur/cayenne pepper around the perimeter of your run and coop or duck house.
7) Spray garlic juice, cinnamon and/or clove oil around your coop.
8) Plant wormwood, garlic or Tulbaghia violacea around your coop and run area.
9) Circle an old rubber hose, thick rope or lead line around the perimeter of your coop - according to John Wayne, a snake won't cross it.

 

[Ren2014]

I have 12 chicks from the last hatch.Three extras if you want to pick them up.

I do plan to make the trip some day. Sorry, I just can't right now.

Ren, I just saw your pond. That is a beautiful pond and I love the bush!

Where are the dogs when you see the snakes?

I found this on another site: (Rooster will like the last tip)

So, bottom line, you don't want these guys hanging around inside your run or coop/duck house. Here are some tips on making your coop area less desirable:

http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/08/snake-in-duck-house-6-tips-to-repelling.html

1.) Keep your coop mouse-free. Read HERE for tips.
2.) Collect eggs as often as you can and leave golf balls in the nests.
3.) Use the smallest gauge wire possible on all vents and your pen/run.
4.) Trim tall grasses and remove fallen logs and branches around the run where snakes can hide.
5.) Check nesting boxes and floor of coop/house before locking up at night for hiding snakes.
6.) Sprinkle sulfur/cayenne pepper around the perimeter of your run and coop or duck house.
7) Spray garlic juice, cinnamon and/or clove oil around your coop.
8) Plant wormwood, garlic or Tulbaghia violacea around your coop and run area.
9) Circle an old rubber hose, thick rope or lead line around the perimeter of your coop - according to John Wayne, a snake won't cross it.

Thank you. We actually have a stock tank not far from it but the ducks wouldn't stay, so my DH dug one right near the pen. The tank is about 150' from the fence. Now, all of a sudden they are going out to the stock tank

Now I wish they wouldn't because it's much safer here closer to the house. Here's a picture from their pen door to their pond.

The door is wide open only because I was inside. It has a small doggie door for ducks. The wire is all reinforced with hardware cloth. From the duck pen to our house to the chicken coop it's about 2.5 acres. The dogs are usually with the chickens. All of the snakes have been near the ducks. Thank you for the tips. I'm definitely looking into them.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

If you have rat/mice problems a hanging feeder sealed rat poison traps will drop them like flies They have no food source other than the poison. Remove their bodies every day and the rat snakes will not have an attractive food source,

 

[Ren2014]

If you have rat/mice problems a hanging feeder sealed rat poison traps will drop them like flies They have no food source other than the poison. Remove their bodies every day and the rat snakes will not have an attractive food source,

I don't think we have a rat problem. We did trap one but I don't see signs of them. We keep all of the feed here in our carport. We do have a cotton tail problem.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

When it is wet and cold, rats go looking for easy food. Hanging feeders deny them access to food. The sealed poison containers that the rats can get in, but the chickens can't bait them in. Most people don't think they have a rat problem until they see the droppings, because they are mainly nocturnal, They have been known to bite birds at night and injure them as well, which can cause problems. But, once food is denied the rats/mice they will be baited by the poison and you will find body after body which probably is going on to attract so many rat snakes, as rat snakes have that name for a reason. The rats/mice go looking for the bird feed in the coops. They start having babies, nesting, and along come those rat snakes.

 

[Ren2014]

When it is wet and cold, rats go looking for easy food. Hanging feeders deny them access to food. The sealed poison containers that the rats can get in, but the chickens can't bait them in. Most people don't think they have a rat problem until they see the droppings, because they are mainly nocturnal, They have been known to bite birds at night and injure them as well, which can cause problems. But, once food is denied the rats/mice they will be baited by the poison and you will find body after body which probably is going on to attract so many rat snakes, as rat snakes have that name for a reason. The rats/mice go looking for the bird feed in the coops. They start having babies, nesting, and along come those rat snakes.

Our feeders do hang but there usually is a lot dropped below. We can't put poison out because if a dog get a rat that got poisoned we could have dog problems. I will have my husband put out more traps and see what happens.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Our feeders do hang but there usually is a lot dropped below. We can't put poison out because if a dog get a rat that got poisoned we could have dog problems. I will have my husband put out more traps and see what happens.

The traps can go in the coop. They sell plastic ones birds can't get into. If you have hardware cloth where the rat can't escape and you don't have dogs in your coop it should be okay. I have a Tom cat that list mostly outside he hasn't drug off a poisoned one yet.

 

[jtn42248]

I don't think we have a rat problem. We did trap one but I don't see signs of them. We keep all of the feed here in our carport. We do have a cotton tail problem.

The cotton tails are a real problem this year. I have even forgone the garden they are so bad. We have hundreds around us and that pulls in hawks and owls which become a problem because besides the birds they are after (as well as the rabbits) we have a couple of small older dogs that the owls seems interested in. So, gun is always by the door, Frito and Bela don't get to go out unless we can be out as well. I know I can't legally shoot the hawks or owls but if I ever have to I won't say anything about it. I will protect my animals! As for the rabbits, I may take an afternoon and have a target practice session even though I won't really make much of a dent in their numbers.