Claire Thompson
Snakes are a major concern for chicken keepers, as they can eat eggs, baby chicks, and sometimes even threaten smaller birds. While snakes are fascinating and beautiful creatures that pose little danger to humans, they can be a nuisance in chicken coops. To keep snakes out of your chicken house, you need to make the space less appealing to them. This includes removing hiding spots, such as long grass, shrubs, and debris, as well as ensuring your coop is properly sealed and has no gaps or holes larger than half an inch. Using hardware mesh or hardware cloth to cover vents and openings is recommended, as chicken wire is not a sufficient deterrent. Keeping the area clean and tidy, removing food sources for rodents, and using natural repellents like allium scents or sulphur can also help deter snakes.
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What You'll Learn
Seal all holes and entrances
Snakes can be a major nuisance for chicken keepers, as they are attracted to chicken coops by the promise of an easy meal, such as eggs, small chicks, and rodents. They can also pose a threat to chickens, as some snakes are constrictors and can squeeze larger birds to death. Therefore, it is important to take steps to keep snakes out of your chicken coop. One of the most effective methods is to seal all holes and entrances that may provide entry points for snakes.
First, it is crucial to understand that snakes can squeeze through tiny cracks and spaces. They only need a hole that is about 1/2 inch in diameter to enter a structure. Thus, the first step in sealing your chicken house is to identify and block any potential entry points. Inspect your chicken house thoroughly, paying close attention to the floor, walls, roof, and vents. Look for any gaps, cracks, or holes that could allow a snake to enter. Remember that snakes are ambush predators and can remain hidden in small spaces, so be thorough in your search.
Once you have identified the potential entry points, it is time to seal them off. One effective way to do this is by using hardware cloth or hardware mesh. This material is specifically designed to keep out pests and predators, with small enough openings to prevent even the smallest snakes from squeezing through. Cover any identified gaps, cracks, or holes with this hardware cloth, ensuring that it is securely attached and cannot be easily dislodged. Pay particular attention to the bottom of the chicken house, as snakes often target the space underneath. Bury the edges of the hardware cloth or mesh at least 6 inches underground to prevent snakes from burrowing underneath it.
In addition to using hardware cloth, you can also employ other sealing methods. For larger holes or entrances, consider using welded wire to cover the openings. This provides a sturdy barrier that snakes cannot penetrate. Make sure to use staples or screws to securely attach the welded wire to the structure, leaving no gaps for snakes to enter. Remember to also check the vents in the chicken house and cover them with an appropriate barrier, such as welded wire or hardware mesh.
It is important to regularly inspect your chicken house for any new potential entry points. Over time, structures can settle, and new gaps or cracks may form. By being vigilant and promptly sealing any new openings, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of snakes gaining access to your chicken house. Remember that snakes are persistent and adaptable, so maintaining the integrity of your chicken house's defences is crucial.
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Use repellents like sulphur or Snake-A-Way
Snakes can be a serious threat to chickens, as they can eat eggs, chicks, and even try to constrict and kill adult chickens. They can also be beneficial in controlling rodents. However, if they turn their attention to your chickens, you may need to take action.
One option is to use repellents like sulphur or Snake-A-Way. Sulphur has been used as a traditional repellent, sprinkled around the perimeter of the chicken coop. It is non-lethal and safe to use around chickens, although some sources claim it is ineffective. Sulphur should be reapplied after heavy rain.
Snake-A-Way is a commercial snake repellent product that comes in the form of granules. It is effective at repelling poisonous and non-poisonous snakes and can cover up to 0.5 acres. It is long-lasting, providing residual control for up to three months. However, it can be washed away by heavy rain, so it may not be suitable for all locations. It is important to keep pets away from treated areas until the product has settled or dried.
While repellents can be useful, it is also important to address the root causes that attract snakes. Snakes are attracted to food sources, such as rodents, birdseed, and fallen fruit, as well as water sources and shelter. Eliminating these attractants can help keep snakes away. Additionally, you can try physical barriers, such as fencing, hardware cloth, or raising your chicken coop to make it less accessible to snakes.
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Remove hiding places
Snakes are ambush predators that can squeeze through the tiniest of cracks or smallest of spaces. They are attracted to chicken coops by the prospect of food, shelter, and water. Snakes are always on the lookout for shelter, and a chicken coop provides an ideal location to avoid the sun's heat. Snakes love to hide in bedding, rocks, woodpiles, tall grasses, and low bushes.
To remove these hiding places, keep bushes and shrubs trimmed a few inches above the ground, and mow the grass around your chicken coop frequently. If possible, build your coop at a safe distance from immovable hiding places, such as sheds, boulders, or large woodpiles. Snakes can also enter the coop from above, so look up at your coop as well as down below. Discourage access by removing tree limbs and brush.
Raising the floor of your chicken coop can also help prevent snakes from gaining access. Raising it even by a few inches can help keep snakes and burrowing animals out. Seal any gaps or other access points, and consider using a coop apron to prevent animals from digging into the coop. Bury the walls of the coop at least six inches deep, or cover the walls with hardware mesh if burying them is not possible.
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Bury coop walls
Snakes are attracted to chicken coops for three main reasons: hunger, thirst, and shelter. They are drawn to the eggs, chickens, or rodents that may be found in the coop. Snakes can also enter a coop in search of water or shade from the heat.
Chicken coops, especially those with dirt floors, need to be protected from all directions, including the bottom. Burying the walls of the coop at least six inches deep, or even a foot, will deter burrowing predators like snakes, weasels, and skunks from entering the coop. If your coop design or landscape does not allow for this depth, sink the walls as far as you can and then cover the remaining area with hardware mesh.
Hardware cloth or mesh is an effective way to reinforce the bottom of your coop. It is sturdy and fine enough to keep out even small burrowing predators, unlike chicken wire. Cover the entire bottom of the coop, including the floor and at least six inches up the walls. As the coop ages and develops holes, patch them with more hardware cloth to prevent any access points for snakes.
In addition to burying the walls, you can also raise the floor of your enclosure by a few inches to prevent snakes and burrowing animals from entering. Seal the floor and walls to ensure there are no gaps or access points. A coop apron is another option to prevent animals from digging into the coop. This method involves attaching fencing or hardware cloth to the bottom outside of the coop and extending it outward about 20 inches along the ground.
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Reduce rodents
Snakes are attracted to chicken coops for three main reasons: hunger, thirst, and shelter. Snakes are often after the rodents that are attracted to chicken feed. Therefore, reducing rodents is a great way to keep snakes out of your chicken coop.
First, ensure that your chicken coop is elevated. Snakes and rodents can both gain access to an unelevated chicken coop. Raising the floor of your enclosure, even by a few inches, can help prevent snakes and burrowing animals from accessing your coop. Bury your coop walls at least six inches deep, or as deep as you can, and then cover the rest of the depth with hardware mesh.
Second, minimise poultry feed spillage. Feed is the number one thing that attracts rodents to your coop. Don't leave feed in open bags or use poultry feeders that allow for a lot of spillage. Clean up any feed spillage before you leave the coop and store the feed in rodent-proof storage containers.
Third, block all holes and possible entrances. Snakes can squeeze through the tiniest of cracks or smallest of spaces. Cover vents with 1/2" welded wire, which will keep out all but the smallest snakes and small field mice. Wrap high-risk areas with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, which helps keep snakes out and protects your flock from other predators.
Finally, consider getting a cat or a livestock guardian dog. Scent and territory mean a lot to animals, and rodents may be less likely to enter your coop if they detect the presence of a predator.
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Frequently asked questions
Snakes are repelled by the scent of alliums. Make a mixture of crushed garlic and sea salt, and sprinkle it around the chicken coop. For extra potency, add onion to the mixture, boil it in water for five minutes, let it sit overnight, and then spray the mixture wherever you are worried about snakes.
Snakes are good at finding ways to enter a chicken coop, so it is important to seal all possible entry points. Use hardware mesh or hardware cloth to cover any holes or gaps in the chicken coop that are larger than half an inch. The mesh should have openings smaller than 0.5 cm to prevent snakes from getting caught in it. Mount the mesh underneath the floor of the coop and around the fences, chicken runs, and base of the coop.
Snakes are attracted to rodents, so keep the area around the chicken coop clean and free of debris, overgrown areas, and patches of long grass to prevent rodents from nesting there. Bring chicken feeders inside at night and store chicken feed inside your house to prevent rodents from accessing it.
Snakes are less likely to enter a chicken coop if there are no places for them to hide outside. Remove any potential hiding spots, such as log piles, old equipment, bushes, and tall grass. You can also sprinkle sulfur around the perimeter of the chicken coop to repel snakes.
