What's worse than NOT finding an egg in the nestbox?

[clarkestep]

A snake!

My son went out to look for eggs a little while ago and found a snake in the lower box!

It was black with a diamond pattern down its back, no rattle. What the HECK is that kind of snake?

BTW, we shot it with a bb gun and hit it twice. It scurried off really quick so I think we got em!

 

[paul65]

I would never kill a snake they keep mice away we have very few snakes around here so we have field mice and moles like crazy if you want to keep it out of nest box just put some moth balls around nest box that will keep them away.

 

[MandyH]

I KNEW as soon as I read that post what you were going to say. It doesn't take but grabbing a snake once to NEVER EVER forget to look before you grab!!!

 

[clarkestep]

Quote:
Well, being the girlie girl that I am, I had my son's 12 year old friend shoot it with the bb gun, while I stood the heck back! Until I know exactly what kind of snake it is, it will be a dead one if'n it gets back into my nesting box! LOL And even then, it had better not get my eggs! Or chickens!

But on a serious note, won't moth balls harm the chickens?

 

[clarkestep]

Quote:
So you've got experience in this department, I'd assume? LOL

 

[ruby]

Can't really tell what kind of snake it was, without knowing the region where you live. In Alabama we have them ALL! So only if you take the time to look at the fellow's head and see if it's the shape of a poisonous snake or not. I use to get alot of rat snakes, we catch them and relocate them to a hay field 5 miles down the road. Kill the venomous, too dangerous to handle. A couple of years ago I raised some guineas, only had one snake show since then

 

[MandyH]

Yes, and what was stupid, is that I knew it was in there before I did it. The chickens were tore up about something and none of the girls were in their nests so dumb me stuck my head right in the box to see what it was and %$#@% there it was. I am not that scared of snakes, but I am not a snake handler either, so it had to go.

 

[hippichick]

I know how you feel. I found one last week in my coop. It had one chick in its mouth, one next to it on the floor, and one in its belly. It was definitely a dead snake. Any snake caught eating my chicks is a dead snake, no questions asked. I put moth balls around all of my coops, and I haven't seen another one out there since, but time will tell. Oh, and the chickens show no interest in the moth balls.
I also had one in my goldfish pond. He ate several of my fish, so my hubby took care of him today. Darn snakes!!

Paula

 

[clarkestep]

Quote:
just north of Atlanta, GA

 

[Renegade]

It's just a chicken snake. We have them everywhere here. One day I even had one trying to climb the glass on my front door. I guess he was trying to reach the doorbell.

If you don't want them around it would be best if you could get someone to move them when you find them.

Donna