I moved all my babies into the greenhouse today. They're still in their brooders of course. I was about to go in there to check on them when a 4ft snake slide over my foot and into the greenhouse! Now I just knew it was after them. I called Paul who tried to persuade me it had no interest in my babies. Ha! I wasn't buying that! I looked around and spotted a pair of welding gloves. Using them I grabbed the snake the next time it headed towards the babies. It's now residing in a 5 gallon pail with a piece of plywood on top and patio blocks holding it down. Paul is going to take it far away.
How do you guys deal with things like that going after your feathered kids?
MollyD
Frightening moment!
I think you handled it perfectly.
What kind of snake do you think it was? I mostly only ever see little garter snakes around here.
we had a five foot bull snake go after our muscovies eggs she was setting on. DH got there in time to remove it, and took it out to his work place since there had been reports of rattlers in the area.
good for you Molly! make sure that snake is removed TEN MILES away!
Thanks Catscan, Tf. Normally I don't mind snakes but I knew that one was after my babies. I'll tell Paul to take it far away!!! He was going to take it down to the ravine here on our land. No way! it'll make it's way back here looking for a tasty treat.
Is there a barrier that would keep them out? I'm worried about one slipping in when I'm not around and me locking it in the GH with the chicks etc.
MollyD
hardware cloth... use it for a screen on top. for that matter, screening, or even shade cloth or weed barrier...
tf where do you use it? My greenhouse has a regular kitchen door on it because of my climate. I usually have to leave it wide open when the sun is shinning to get the temperature down.
MollyD
My husband deals with snakes by whacking them. We ran across a copperhead the other day while we were picking berries. My husband had a pole about 4 foot long and 2 inches thick he used to move brush etc, Smashed that little thing good with it. Then we called the kids to come look at it so they knew what a copperhead looked like and told them to run if they ever saw one.
smedgekles I would have whacked this one but Paul was firmly against it. Garter snakes aren't poisonous and normally they do a good job of killing mice and stuff like that. This snake's problem was in what it chose to go after.
I'd certainly whack a poisonous snake!!
MollyD
If they are not poisonous he generally lets them go....unless of course they are after the chickens :)
Snakes will travel up to a mile to get home. I learned this the hard way. Finially took that sucker to the next county.
I've never heard of or eaten a poisonous snake, but i sure would whack a venomous one.
Sorry, couldn't resist being obnoxious....
Molly, i was thinking over the top of the brooder.... you likely can't keep the snake out of the greenhouse.
Do you have a cat?
tf
No cats here tf. Dogs would eat them :-( They have in the past.
MollyD
well, i would find a stray and lock it up in the greenhouse to stand guard LOL or i owuld bring the chickies back in the house!
you could try a sign that says "smile you are on camera" ^_^
But tf cats eat chickens! That's as bad as the snake being in there!!
MollyD
Sounds like not a lot you can do- except get some
of those snake killing guineas, Molly! I don't favor
killing the non venomous, but with guineas around,
maybe they wouldn't show themselves so much.
build a predator proof brooder! 2X2s and hardware cloth. for next time. yeah, meanwhile i would have them back in the house. where there was one snake...
LOL well they're locked in the gh where they had a blast today. They've been running all over the greenhouse looking like a miniature football team. They've been so bored in the brooder that I felt sorry for them
MollyD
you need to get them one of those chicken toys.... those things with the big eyes and stretchy hair...
Is it a toy that looks like a chicken, or is it a toy for
chickens, TF? Do they reeeely make chicken toys?
haha Give them a box or place with dry dirt and you
will find you have very happy chickies- put some wood
ash in, and you'll find no lice or meets or mice or mites..
Been a long day...
I was thinking with all the "Urban Backyard Chicken" interest there would probably be a market for chicken toys. DH thought I was crazy....but I still think it is a good idea.
wasn't it frans that fave one of those to her chicks? out of a machine?
Oh, goodness, I missed that one!
I think she said it was out of a machine.
MollyD
frans said her dgd won it out of a machine, but you could buy them at Wallyworld.
GG
Are ya'll talking about the squeezy thing that gets big
googly eyes when you squash it?
yeah I think that's it
MollyD
I went out to dump Sophie's trough and put in fresh
water the other evening, and a darn baby bullfrog
jumped on my leg and stuck to it! Ohhh talk about
instant momentary jitters....
Hi truest. I don't think it is that "Martian-pop-eye-stress-releaser". It looked more like a cross between a hedgehog and an octopus. There is a picture of it here somewhere.
And the chickens really like picking at that? hmm, I
have horsey toys for the horse, and doggy and kitty toys-
Am I denying my chickies the right to a fulfilling life?:-O
I know! I (cynically) think there are big bucks in chicken toys.....but only because chicks in a brooder don't have the kind of mental stimulation they would out in the wild with Mamma. People buy their 2 months old babies "Baby Einstein" tapes. What about our promising young chickens? They are starting to do things to enrich the enviornment for cattle, pigs and other animals. Who is thinking of the chickens? I think someone need to address this apalling waste of Poultry intellect. LOL!
DH is still not impressed by my logic......
tell him I AM! ^_^
Go Cat's chickens! I think that we are all going to
want some of her chickies, they will be the one's
that can count!