What about snakes?

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
I agree that a King snake will eat other snakes, however, keep in mind they are carnivors and therefore also eat other small animals, including birds.
While they may not bother your larger hens, it is a good possibility they could be a bother to young birds. and they will eat eggs if they need to.
As with all carnivorous feeders, they can be opportunistic. I personally would not have king snakes as a bunk mate with my chickens

 

[sandypaws]

hi.. hate to disagree.. i dont want to "get in trouble" ... i am not arguing,, i am informing...

i breed these creatures....
KINGsnakes are reptile eaters.. from birth they are "programed" to eat lizards and other snakes.. most kingsnakes would rather starve to death than to eat a mouse.. this is the biggest problem of raising kingsnakes for the pet trade.. once the eggs hatch you have to TRICK your baby kingsnakes into eating a baby mouse,, usually by scenting the mouse by rubbing it on a lizard.. and several baby kings have to be fed lizard tails and then switch them to scented mouse tails.. then to scented pinkies and then to unscented pinkies.. it is a long process and many baby kings will refuse to eat mice and die....
***i am NOT saying it never happends*** some spiecies will turn to eating mice as adults,, but others wont...... but just because they are "carnivors" doesnt mean they will eat anything... matter of fact several different types of snakes only eat ONE thing.. ball pythons are notorious for "impressing" on ONE type of food and will starve to death unless it gets that one type of food.. i have a ball that will only eat white mice.. i can not offer it a brown mouse, he wont eat it.. only white!!!

yes RAT snakes will eat eggs, and are more likely to eat just about anything,, including birds,, ect..

i have on several occasions captures kings (and gophersnakes)and set them free IN my coop/yard.. never lost a chicken to a snake..

yes anybody afraid of snakes.. get a group of guineas!!!!! i wish i had my camera for that!!!

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

WOW, I really didn't need the snake lesson, I was just giving my educated opinion!

 

[mistylady]

Shovel ..... brick ..... .22 ..... snakes near the house or the coop don't last long. My husband lets a pair of 7 foot black snakes live in HIS garage. They keep the me and the mice out. Its his wife-proof security system.

Now if his legless buddies get near the coop they become pests and dh will have to put mouse traps in his garage.

They can live anwyhere but near the house or the coop! We have enough mice and frogs (his garage is right by the stream) ..... they don't need our eggs! DH says they are called black rat snakes.

And yes, I plan to order a batch of guineas this spring! I was planing on giving some away since I'll have to order 30 of them but instead I'm going to put a male and female in with the hens and turn the rest loose with a roosting area on the side of the goat barn for them.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:

I agree let them live in HIS garage not MY coop!

 

[sandypaws]

shovel , brick, .22.....????....

so sad!!!!!


i thought we were here to learn??? i was giving my knowlede of snakes to those who would like to learn.. thats all

i have a pair of lustistic black rat snakes i am hoping to breed possibly next year... arent they pretty!!!!!

 

[ruby]

I have had trouble with snakes for years. Sometimes 2 or 3 a weeks for stretches of drought, weird weather or such. We moved the non- poisonous. Catch and release 3 miles down the road. But the guineas solved most of my problems. In the two years I've had my guineas I've had one snake. And my husband witnessed a tag team on a southern cottonmouth run out of the yard. I really like them.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
It is also very sad when people lose their birds. Not everyone thinks snakes are cute, and if they choose to dispose of them, who are we to judge?

Information is great for those who want it, insinuating that we are not learning because we do things differently than you is uncalled for.

 

[nekomi]

Hey Sandypaws, thanks for the great info!

I'm also in the snake-breeding business, and Sandypaws is completely correct - kingsnakes only eat other reptiles, so they are very beneficial to have around! They aren't going to touch rodents or birds.

Sandypaws - I have a leucy black ratsnake over here too. He's a jewel. Really awesome animal! I also keep green tree pythons, but I doubt any of the forum members here need to worry about them showing up in a coop.

(Hopefully!)

 

[sandypaws]

nekomi....

wow if i went to the coop and found a GTP..!!!! i would scoop it up and put it in the house!!!!... or take it to my shop where my other 18 snakes are

jjeeezzzz..