# How to keep snakes away!! Im so freaked out!



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

I know I'm a big sissy. I totally get it! The only fear I have is snakes. My husband just killed a 7 foot black snake in my barn. I was wondering why my chickens were acting weird. I sat in there with them for awhile and when I went to put an extra bungee in their stall in case it was a raccoon outside the barn I saw it stretched out by the door I just went through not even 30 minutes before. I know they won't go after me, but I'm still freaked out for not only myself but my silkies and smaller chickens out there. 

What all do you do to keep those nasty snakes out?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I really don't know what unless you use screened wiring for fencing. They can get through the smallest opening. Maybe hot wire as close to the grd without electrifying the whole barn. We've never had them until this past week and lost 3...

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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There is electric poultry netting. Not cheap but it's effective. 

Someone who had a huge issue with rattlers discovered that leaving bird netting puddled around the perimeter of her pens caught quite a few snakes because they got tangled in it. 

I have a hot wire close to the ground, it's meant more for diggers, but so far I haven't found any snakes in with my birds and the woods are right behind where their pen is.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

Hot wore it is then! I thought about getting a German Shepherd puppy but I love my dogs to be inside so kind of defeats the purpose of protecting the barn and the chicken coop inside. 

NANNYPATTYRN- im so sorry you lost 3 chickens. Do you know what kind of snake killed them. My husband assures me that black snakes will only kill mice and eat eggs but I still don't trust them around my chickens. I have small silkies that I really worry about especially. Not to mention. I have some favorite hens that I would be very upset if something would happen to them.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm afraid your hubs is wrong about what the black snakes will kill. They will constrict and kill any bird that gets in their way. They will take chicks. I had one try to swallow a pullet, realized the bird was too big but by then it had killed her. 

That was in our old place. The problem was fixed that same day.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

Thanks Robin416! What did you guys do to fix the problem. I leave my big barn door open during the day for circulation and their run in doesn't have a top on it. I have some smaller fencing. But I'm not sure how else to
Keep them out besides hot wire. I have an old barn kitty who doesn't mess with the chickens but she was definitely trying to warn me about the snake. If I put hot wire up I just have to watch the old barn cat and my son. But I will do whatever I can to protect them. I just wasn't sure what I needed to do


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## MGBOSS (Jul 14, 2017)

Find a Cat

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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Nothing can stop snakes from getting at your chickens or eggs. If they want a meal, they'll find a way to get in. They are my main predator and the ONLY predator able to get at my birds.
Here's a pic of a Yellow Rat snake I caught in my chicken pen in Georgia. I always use hardware cloth on the bottom half of the pens. It mustve crawled in through the chicken wire above the hardware cloth. Notice that it is during the day. These snakes are aggressive and mean. I've lost quite a few birds to these snakes. This one got the machete.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

Oh holy cow! Such a pain for us chicken lovers! Im wondering if a dog out there would help keep the darn crazy snakes and raccoons away? My husband wants a German shepherd pretty bad; however, I like my dogs indoors and they shed like crazy and also would defeat the purpose of getting one to keep the snakes and ***** out if I keep bringing it indoors. Lol. I guess I will try putting the wire along the bottom, hot wire around the coop as well. Hopefully, the jerks will stay out.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You trying to close the barn the way I fixed my coop would be like comparing a row boat to an ocean liner. A barn has so many openings for a snake to crawl into.



That window was over my head. The snake made it's way up the side of the house to get at a wild bird's nest.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Get some guinea fowl.They chase snakes away and can live with your chickens.They are also excellent for ridding your property of ticks,fleas and other insects.And they are served in high-scale restaurants.....


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, Guineas do not scare snakes away. They will alert to the fact they're around if they see them but unless they're really small Guineas won't touch them.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Perhaps a Great Pyrenees dog might tackle a snake, not sure. They have to be raised with livestock and left outside all the time. A friend of mine has one and she has all kinds of different types of birds.
Here's a pic I pulled off the internet with a Great Pyrenees with chickens. I love it.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

I used to have a great Pyrenees's years ago and didn't think about that. That's an idea for sure.


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## toriisan (Jul 17, 2017)

I know Great Pyreness is mainly used to guard livestock but is it easy to train? How long would it take before an owner can say that it is specially trained for livestock?


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## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Non Poisonous snakes are an integral part of the ecosystem on our little homestead. They help in rodent control and a King Snake will kill a Rattlesnake any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

Rattlers and Copperheads get the business end of the .410 around Slippy Lodge. I plan on doubleing down on the Hardware Cloth to keep snakes away from the chickens. Good Dogs, Good Cats and Good Rodent Control helps with Good Snake Control! This I know!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep, I caught as many of the constrictors as I could and relocated them far far away when they were in or around my coops. The others got to hang out. 

There was one in TN that I still don't know what it was. It was massive, black and yellow, about five feet long with a very thick body. Thing was headed into my Guinea coop. That one was dispatched due to its size. It could have swallowed an adult Guinea it was so big.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I've lost quite a few chicks, pullets and cockerals to non poisonous snakes, particularly yellow rat snakes. Unless a pen is completely enclosed in 1/4" hardware cloth which is very costly, a snake will get in the pen. 
I relocated the snakes in the woods behind our house after I chopped their heads off.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just like a man, taking pictures of his kills. 

I did have a black snake try to swallow a half grown Guinea once. Killed the Guinea, I never did find the snake.


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## TomC (Apr 9, 2020)

I don't even have the run finished yet and I had to run off a small garter snake today. My wife was a good 50 feet away yelling, "Kill It, Kill It".


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Just like a man, taking pictures of his kills.
> 
> I did have a black snake try to swallow a half grown Guinea once. Killed the Guinea, I never did find the snake.


Yup, proof.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Garter snakes can get big but are not a threat to the adult chickens. They will eat eggs and chicks. Don't ask me how I know.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Garter snakes are great fun! the chickens will eat the little ones. One of mine got one a few years back but she couldn't swallow the whole thing, she ran around the yard for an hour with a wiggling snake sticking out of her beak hahahaha


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I haven't gotten to enjoy a sight like that. All of the snakes I've seen or the birds have seen were too big for them to take on. The Guineas circle around the snake and talk quietly about it. Then I retrieve the snake and move it far away.


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## TomC (Apr 9, 2020)

The garter snake I had the other day was a bit big for them to take on right now, it was 1 1/2 to 2 ft. long. Maybe when they’re full grown.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Sylie said:


> Garter snakes are great fun! the chickens will eat the little ones. One of mine got one a few years back but she couldn't swallow the whole thing, she ran around the yard for an hour with a wiggling snake sticking out of her beak hahahaha


I've seen that happen when I lived in Georgia. I couldnt believe my eyes when I saw a hen running across the backyard with a small snake in her mouth and about 20 chickens chasing after her! LOL. I guess it was payback time lol.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I did get to see mine do that with mice. It was funny to see everyone after her for her prize.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Have you ever heard a bunch of chickens come running towards you, especially for treats? They almost sound like a herd of horses with their feet pounding on the ground lol.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've heard that with my Guineas when they were ready to go up for the night and wanted their millet. During a drought you could see puffs of dirt when their feet hit the ground.


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## TomC (Apr 9, 2020)

I hear that every time I go out in the morning to open the coop door. As soon as I start fiddling with the latch, I hear running feet. Once I get the door open, I can't tell who was running, they're all standing still.

Half of them are at the back of the coop staring like, "Oh, somebody's at the door".

The other half are crowded at the door staring like "Yay, somebody's at the door".


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

dmkrieg said:


> I know I'm a big sissy. I totally get it! The only fear I have is snakes. My husband just killed a 7 foot black snake in my barn. I was wondering why my chickens were acting weird. I sat in there with them for awhile and when I went to put an extra bungee in their stall in case it was a raccoon outside the barn I saw it stretched out by the door I just went through not even 30 minutes before. I know they won't go after me, but I'm still freaked out for not only myself but my silkies and smaller chickens out there.
> 
> What all do you do to keep those nasty snakes out?


I've always had a fear of snakes. Even more so since moving fm NY to SC 8 months ago. I asked my neighbors if they saw any snakes around. They said a few black snakes,but there good they kill the venomous ones. Since my neighbor said that I said a black snake in a tree, then uncovered 1 under a sheet of plastic on the ground. 
Then when I was putting chicken wire on the bottom part of my metal fence I discovered a nest of copperheads!! I sprayed w some anti snake spray, then went out and threw down sulfur. Then I found 2 dead really small copperheads . I even bought myself a snake grabber, though not I will know what to do if I get a hold of one. Good luck, we're both going to need some.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ah man, copperheads. The best way to deal with them is not to have anything around for them to hide in or under. Keep grass mowed around the coop.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

Bah, copperheads are nothing. Here we have spitting cobras!


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## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

Biring said:


> Bah, copperheads are nothing. Here we have spitting cobras!


Omg !!!where do u live


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Look at this post and it will give you and idea: Biring's Poultry Palace


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Ah man, copperheads. The best way to deal with them is not to have anything around for them to hide in or under. Keep grass mowed around the coop.


That's probably the best idea, make sure there is no clutter immediately around the coop. I had a neighbor who carried snake tongs around her property, I don't know that she actually used them but it made her feel better.


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