| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| dlbmyers |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 12:21:35 PM
I was helping a friend tend her chickens when we found 2 large black snakes in her henhouse. It is helpful to have the black snake in our area because they will keep the poisonous snakes at bay, however the black snakes are wrecking havoc on her eggs! Does anyone know a good way to keep the black snake out of the henhouse? |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Annab |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 04:47:55 AM
I miss the corn snakes and rat snakes that Ohio has.
The one or two I tried to relocate had to be walked across a creek. It's about 4 feet in the summer months, so probably not a problem to swim back across.
The last really big snake I found was relocated underneath our neighbor's house. He has a huge mouse problem and didn't even flinch when I left a note taped to the door. He said he could handle a little snake poop over mouse any day! |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 8:08:43 PM
We have more rat snakes that I can keep up with. I do not kill them, but instead relocate. I have been told by an expert herper friend that they have been known to come back to the same place after being re-located FIVE miles away. Lol.
Hardware cloth (1/2" or smaller) will do the trick. You have to be SURE every tiny hole is covered. They are extremely persistent and annoying, but I do like the fact that I have never seen mice or rats since they have been around (when we got the coop up and running). I have only seen a couple of copperheads, but fortunately even they aren't an aggressive snake.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| Annab |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 10:13:53 AM
We relocate ours to under the crawl space. The mice keep them pretty busy.
Not for the faint at heart, and hard to remember to tell your maintenance man when he goes under the house and hits his head on the resident black snake!
We recently lost a snake when it crawled in and ate a wooden dummy egg and then got stuck trying to get back out.
I felt really really bad, but was vindicated when another snake just as long (about 6 feet or so) was near one of the coops again last week.
So he's back under the house and the dummy eggs have been removed.
Thought about peacocks, but don't much want them roostng and pooping on our vehicles and house roof. Tried guenneas and drove my DH to insanity one day.
And I found out from a frined who is a herper (expert herpatologist/snake/reptile person) that black snakes do indeed keep the venomous snakes away. For us it's coperheads. And that a black snake keeps a home range of about a mile. Good to know if it simply MUST be relocated |
| grace gerber |
Posted - May 09 2011 : 07:09:54 AM
Welcome Maleea - I have heard several folks have that same issue with theirs that is why I did not get Guineas also I had a couple of friends who had the problem of them attacking the younger chickens. I spend tons of hours explaining that about guard llamas and livestock dogs to folks just starting out. I did have one of my llama girls stomp to death a very large snake and luckly it was not a rattler - many llams's get bit in the face because they are way too nosey for their own good. In some cases it cost them their lives - luckly it never has happened to any of mine. I guess we just have to try things and keep those fingers crossed.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 08:41:28 AM
We have black water snakes, but we have never had them get into the coop. We did see a mouse in there once, and the hens (or rooster) killed it.
I never new a peacock would be an answer for snake problems. That's interesting, and I love to learn new information on here.
Farmgirl #800
http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
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| smiley |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 06:19:11 AM
Welcome Maleea. I hope you enjoy the chat room as much as I do. These ladies are always there to share wisdom and help |
| Maleea |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 6:00:40 PM
Hello! My first time in chat. We have a small farm in southern New York and for our hens protection, we purchased Guinea Hens. We plan to have free ranging chickens but they are another 2 weeks before they are old enough to go outside. I only wanted about 6 Guinea Hens but the lady talked me into all 20! Very similiar to the Peacock story, the day we released the Guineas they walked away....3 running trips to the road to shoo them back home, later. Than the whole bunch headed into the forest nearby and didnt come back til the next day. The Guineas foolishly wandered into the lower barn the next day and were recaptured. We had Guinea loose at our other farm years ago and never had trouble with them staying close by. |
| smiley |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 4:04:35 PM
My husband likes black snakes to keep away the poison ones. I could do without either. Have had them in the hen house. Then black or not they are a dead snake/its that time of year -heads up and eyes open! |
| Mumof3 |
Posted - Apr 30 2011 : 06:28:28 AM
I wrapped our chicken pen with hardware cloth to keep out snakes. I haven't had any problems with them in the 3 years that we've had The Girls, so I think it's working. They will eat the small ones that get in, slurping them down like a piece of spaghetti. It's really rather disgusting.
Karin
www.perfectlittlemiracle.blogspot.com
www.athreadofred.blogspot.com |
| Dusky Beauty |
Posted - Apr 28 2011 : 9:18:23 PM
what about guineas? I hear they chase out snakes.
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
| CMac |
Posted - Apr 28 2011 : 3:36:10 PM
Too funny Tina!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Apr 28 2011 : 3:23:34 PM
Holly, LOL, found a big old gopher snake on my tractor, curled up on the fuel (diesel) tank sunning himself a week or so ago, and the dribbled fuel sure didn't keep him away... |
| HollyG |
Posted - Apr 28 2011 : 12:08:58 PM
My husband always sprays (or drizzles) the perimeter with diesel. Snakes won't cross the diesel line. It's not good for the grass - and may not be what you want for your environment, but it will work.
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 9:28:13 PM
lol Grace, we never let ours out......give them a high perch inside a fenced area that your hen house is in, they don't care about going far, (never seemed unhappy to live in the house/pen we made for them) But, if people let them out it was hard to find them again that was for sure! lol They would be all over the neighborhood! lol On peoples roof tops! lol We lived in the city! lol haha
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 7:27:52 PM
paula, I live in the high desert of So. California, Quartz Hill is a very small rural town in the most Northern Part of Los Angeles county... |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 6:50:31 PM
O.K. it would be the end of dry pants if I lifted a hen and found a snake.... I purchased two peacocks for the same reason and did all the breeder told me to do about teaching them how to stay and the day they got out of their run they flew on top of the barn and I spent two days trying to get them to come down. Then they saw my forrest and flew there and for six years that is where they lived.. So much for all that money.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| paulas party flowers |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 6:05:12 PM
hi tina...i have mohave green here to. ..i am in arizona. Where is quartz hill ? I used to live in indio calif.. Hope I don't have any. Paula
the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 5:35:23 PM
Just to let you know, I've had peacocks in with my chickens, and they got along fine. They would keep them out I'm pretty sure or at least that's what I have heard.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| CMac |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 5:01:18 PM
Been there and done that myself! Wondered what was happening to the eggs. He was there long enough to get to big to get out the chicken wire!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
| Dusky Beauty |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 5:00:55 PM
I've read that to keep snakes out of the hen house you have to cover every hole or space with wood or hardware cloth.
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
| dlbmyers |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 4:48:51 PM
The snakes are definately doing a good job - no signs of rodents in henhouse, barn or stalls. Copperheads are our biggest problem snake here and they will not come around where there are black snakes or king snakes. So it would be nice to have them around, but not with the hens. The same friend once found one coiled under a hen when she was gathering eggs!  That will get your heart racing!! |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 3:58:03 PM
if you have snakes, you also have rodents, and if you don't see rodents, its because you have good snakes who are doing their job, and don't be quick to judge that its the snakes eating your eggs, cause many differant rodents will eat eggs also...
Grace, I have rattlesnakes here where I live also, "mojave green's", which have both toxins, hemo and neuro, they are considered one of the most deadly snakes in the country, and I love my "king snakes", cause they will hunt down the rattlers and kill them... |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 3:19:25 PM
I've heard peacocks work.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 2:46:40 PM
WOW - I have no advise because in Colorado we have rattlesnakes but they go for the chickens not the eggs so a shot gun works. I will be interested in what responses you get. I do agree with the re-fencing suggestion from Tina. O.K. I might not be putting down roots in NC after reading this and I wish you all the best in getting those snakes away from your girls.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 12:41:02 PM
you will either have to re-fence with very small openings on the wire, including dig wire, or remove the snakes to another part of the county, cause just moving them out of your yard won't work, cause they will just come back... |
