Since Monday of the previous week, I have been noticing something strange in our chicken coops. Some of the eggs are being broken and some of them are not found.
I was very upset. I discussed this matter to my uncle Mr. Geroge who has multiple poultry farms in the state of Florida. After having a brief discussion, he recommended cleaning all chicken coops.
While cleaning the choops of chicken, I found three snakes in the corner of the chicken coops. I rushed towards Mr. George and told him the whole situation. He gave me pieces of advice and asked me to take measures in this context.
Top 10 Ways to Get Rid of Snakes in Chicken Coop
Having three snakes in my chicken coops created not only frustration but also a sense of fear among our family; so, I took the following ten measures to get rid of snakes in chicken coops. The detail is as below;
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Collect Eggs on a Regular Basis
Normally, I collect eggs after two or three days, but Mr. George recommended collecting them on a regular basis. This methodology won’t let the snake enter into chops
Eggs are the favorite food of snakes. They come to the coops for their favorite food; therefore, it is recommended to collect the eggs on a regular basis or check the next boxes several times so that the snake may not come.
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Trim Long Grass
Trimming the grass around the coops also proves helpful to get rid of snakes in chicken coops. Snakes love to move on the ground clandestinely and long grass gives them immense cover to hide them.
Moreover, the color of the grass also protects the snakes from identification. I removed all the grass around the coops so that the snakes may not enter into the coops secretly. You should take the same measures to avoid snakes in chicken coops.
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Block All Holes
Another loophole that I have noticed while my get riding campaign is that there are many holes and cracks in the coops of chicken. Holes and cracks also let the snakes enter into the coops.
To get rid of this tension, I have blocked all the holes and cracks of chicken coops. This technique avoids the entrance of not only the snakes but also other insects; so, you should block all the holes and cracks of the chicken coops.
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Elevate the Level of Coops
An elevated coop doesn’t let the snakes and other reptiles enter. As already mentioned, snakes move very close to the ground and enter into the coops, if they find any opportunity.
Contrary to that, an elevated coop does provide that opportunity to the snakes; therefore, you should elevate the level of all chicken coops in the house to avoid snakes in the coops.
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Install a Chicken Wire
Another step that I have taken to avoid snakes in the coops is to install chicken wire. Snakes have a peerless ability to pass on through gaps; therefore, installation of a chicken wire or mesh wire around the chicken coops deter not only snakes but also other animals to enter the place.
Hence, the installation of a chicken wire proves to be very fruitful to avoid snakes.
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Avoid Poultry Feed Spillage
Poultry feed attracts snakes and other rodents equally. Open feeding welcomes the snakes to enter the place; so, it is recommended cleaning the spillage before leaving the place and providing feed in a bag or in poultry feeders.
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Eliminate Rodents
Having rodents around the chicken coops calls the snakes. You have to take proactive measures for surveillance of the mice or rats. You may use mice traps for this purpose, but keep in mind these traps wouldn’t harm the chickens
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Remove Hiding Spots
Hiding spots around the coops also encourage the snakes to live there. You have to take all necessary measures to remove hiding spots to avoid snakes surrounding the chicken place.
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Use Natural Repellents
Natural repellents play a vital role to repel the snakes in a place. You can use these repellents to get rid of snakes; so, for your understanding, I have listed down some natural repellents as below;
- Marigolds
- Lemongrass
- Rosemary
- Thyme
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Buy a Snake Proof Chicken Coop
Although buying a snake proof chicken coop is an expensive measure yet proves to be useful. It does not allow the snake to come in owing to tightly woven mesh walls.
Therefore, this investment is a panacea of all headaches. You should buy snake proof chicken coops for the safety of chickens.
How to Notice Snakes in Chicken Coops
There are multiple factors that help us to notice the presence of snakes in chicken coops. I have listed five methods to notice the presence of snakes in a coop. The details in this context are given below;
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Snake Skin
Presence of snake skin in chicken coops is the ultimate confirmation of presence of snakes in surroundings.
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Dead Chicken
Presence of dead chickens with wet heads denotes there might be a snake in the area.
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Missing Chicks
If you find missing chicks on a regular basis. It means that there is an uncertain activity happening there or there might be a chance that snakes are swallowing them. I faced the same situation of missing chicks in coops.
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Reduction in Eggs
Reduction in egg numbers also gives a clue that the snakes are festing the eggs. Snakes eat up to two eggs per meal.
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Regurgitated Egg Shells
Snakes usually regurgitate the items with their bodies that they could digest. Mostly, they eat eggs and regurgitate the shells.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, I have compiled the best practices according to my personal experience on how to get rid of snakes in chicken coops. First, you have to take notice as mentioned above regarding the presence of and then, apply the aforementioned measures to expel the snakes out of the coops.
Thanks for reading and have a snake free chicken coop!
