This is Why Hardware Cloth

[McChooky]

“Chicken Brains” LOL PIT BULL VS Black Racer snake? the other day a black racer slithered dn towards me saw it before, but then it stopped & went up by Lanai slithered along & boom turned and there were TWO I think about 4’ long aprx. The one was under the (was going to be she shed now just shed) by coop/run the other day. Now I see two and raced along garden Lanai/house and I guess around corner to green house area where also saw the one. Did I mention I HATE SNAKES?!? Frightened to death of them! I chased one once with a hard rake it was after a nest of baby Cardinals in a short tree in that same corner area. I flung it dn & missed it was between rung or ? It turned and came @ me I of coursed screamed ran & jumped in Lanai! Snake deter goes dn later today & I’m buying moth balls also hope they work. Oh & when the one other day saw me it turned & in front of Lanai have cinder blks plant flowers in openings it raised it’s body/head up to top and watched me then slithered right up! I’m scared to walk everywhere! They R not poisonous but they do bite= NOT ME TY!

If theres anyone who has not run from a racer I haven't met them yet. How do you fight a snake? Kick it? Stomp it? That won't stop it from standing on its tail and striking at you. I've always ran from those too.I would set a snake trap and get rid of them for good.

 

[NagemTX]

I have not run from a racer, I have caught a racer. Snakes are good they take care of other pests that come with the keeping of domesticated animals. Racers in particular eat the poisonous snakes like copper heads. Poisonous snakes have their place as well but those are the ones I don't want around, there for the racer is my friend in that regard.

Where they are an issue for chickens is in the theft of eggs and chicks. They can be an issue for the adults but they would have to be pretty big for that. Also the snakes that pose the most threat to adult chickens are the ones Racers and King snakes eat.(edited to add more info).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Also attempted to catch racers - they run from me. I actually like them on property.

 

[3KillerBs]

If theres anyone who has not run from a racer I haven't met them yet. How do you fight a snake? Kick it? Stomp it? That won't stop it from standing on its tail and striking at you. I've always ran from those too.I would set a snake trap and get rid of them for good.

I don't believe I've ever seen a racer. I don't know if we have them in this area.

We certainly have black rat snakes. The old timers claim that they'll keep the copperheads away. I don't know if that's true, but I know that they'll keep the rodents down for me.

If I saw one too close to the coop or, especially, the brooder, I'd chase it off into the woods. They're not dangerous to anything bigger than a young chick.

 

[McChooky]

I don't believe I've ever seen a racer. I don't know if we have them in this area.

We certainly have black rat snakes. The old timers claim that they'll keep the copperheads away. I don't know if that's true, but I know that they'll keep the rodents down for me.

If I saw one too close to the coop or, especially, the brooder, I'd chase it off into the woods. They're not dangerous to anything bigger than a young chick.

I don't know how long they'll chase you but I run when I see one coming.

 

[NagemTX]

I don't believe I've ever seen a racer. I don't know if we have them in this area.

We certainly have black rat snakes. The old timers claim that they'll keep the copperheads away. I don't know if that's true, but I know that they'll keep the rodents down for me.

If I saw one too close to the coop or, especially, the brooder, I'd chase it off into the woods. They're not dangerous to anything bigger than a young chick.

We have racers but they are more rare here now than they use to be. Snakes in the Houston area. We have the yellow belly racer, Indigo snakes, and many more that I don't see as often anymore.

At my work they found a snake in the landscaping timbers that they killed because they thought it was a copper head and it was a Prairie King snake. I was a little sad and annoyed when everyone was saying that the only good snake is a dead one.

 

[allenw]

I've been known to gather a friendly snake or two up and show them a place where I needed their help.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't know how long they'll chase you but I run when I see one coming.

I've never known of a snake to chase a human -- including timber rattlers and copperheads.

I've seen a northern banded watersnake (harmless, but a copperhead-mimic), make a few lunges as a scare tactic but it retreated when I didn't.

Water moccasins and some of the western rattlers are said to be actively aggressive, but even if a non-venomous snake *were* to attempt to attack a person it can't actually do anything.

 

[Regina Larsen]

I've been known to gather a friendly snake or two up and show them a place where I needed their help.

Ditto. I like em. We have eastern garters and brown garters here. Nothing big. I think of them as a sign my organic ways are working since they are so sensitive unhealthy environments. This feisty little guy was a recent visitor

 

[sandburRanch]

Well, in my case, I prefer my chickens to be afraid of just anything that comes around the coop and run. When a stray dog comes into the yard, my chickens will beat feet and hide in the coop. If some strangers (people) come by to visit, they will run and hide in the coop, and stay here until they feel safe enough to come out. They only tolerate me because they know I feed them, and they are always looking for some kitchen scraps or treats if I am carrying our ice cream pail from the kitchen.

I guess I prefer my chickens to be on guard all the time. Hiding out of sight is a good way to make other potential predators lose interest.

Afraid chickens is the reason i hauled a young rooster 5 miles to work early one morning . I didn't realize how he rode in the truck until i changed oil about a month later . Under the hood of my 65 ford pickup truck above the left front fender there was chicken droppings . That was the safest place on the ranch when the neighbor dog enjoys chasing and killing chickens .