# Snake getting eggs



## Kattscrowd

​ I have a problem! I was getting about a dozen or so eggs and now I'm down to getting about 5, no one is molting, no one is broody... I know I have a snake under my house (hubster saw the tail end zipping under the trailer when he was grilling a week or so ago and we killed another rat snake earlier in July.
So I know we have a snake.. it won't come out during the day or evening.. we have a big emu and I imagine she's his worst enemy. He'd have to go past her and she keeps my goats in line.. a snake would be a worm to her 
Any good ways on keeping snakes out of my hen yard???
Thanks much!


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## oldvet

My Grandpa used to get glass eggs (and nope I don't know where he got them) and put them in the nests. The snake would swallow the glass egg, constrict on it and crush the glass inside it's stomach. Taa Daa! dead snake. :2thumb:

The only thing that scares me more than a snake is......two or more freakin snakes. :eyebulge:


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## *Andi

You can get glass eggs at most craft stores. I use wooden eggs or golf balls and that works about the same ... no more snake.


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## hpb13

moth crystals run snakes away. just aslong as its safe that the hens dont get them.


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## Davarm

My grandmother once told me that they would put the glass eggs in a cage with wire small enough that the eggs wouldn't pass through. When the snake ate the egg he wouldn't be able to get back out and you could dispose of him at your leisure, sometimes you could even get the egg back.


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## talob

Didnt want to do it but I had to kill about a five foot black snake a while back, walked into to chicken coop to check on a sitting hen big snake had run hen off the nest and was eating eggs, would have run snake off but it'd be back again to eat chicks so.... normally I dont kill snakes around here would much rather have a snake around than mice.


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## LincTex

Davarm said:


> ...put the glass eggs in a cage with wire small enough that the eggs wouldn't pass through. When the snake ate the egg he wouldn't be able to get back out ...


This is the winning answer... works every time.

At any rate, you need to make it harder for the snakes to get inside.


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## TheLazyL

Why don't you cover all the openings with 1/2" hardware cloth then you don't have to "worry" about snakes getting your eggs?


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## ZoomZoom

Easiest way I found to get snakes under about 36" is with a minnow trap like the one pictured here. For bigger snakes, you may need a bigger openings (or cut the opening a little bigger).
In your case, put an egg in there. The snake will go in from one of the cone ends but even without eating the egg, it can't figure out how to get out. With an egg, it can't get out the hole.


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## Momturtle

Genious! We try to capture the snakes and relocate but sometimes it can be hard. Will have to try the minnow trap for sure. We do have one old girl that has been coming for several years -- she was about 5 foot first time we caught her. Now she is well over 7 feet long of egg fed giant black snake. About once a year we find our egg supply dropping sharply and know we have to be on the look out. Sure enough, there she is and we carry her off to the old lumbermill (abandoned and full of prey) down the road. Don't think we could ever harm her, we don't even kill the copperheads we find under lumber and such, just gather 'em up and move 'em down the road a bit (to our own property just farther down the road). Like the fact that they eat voles, don't want them under foot.


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## Coastal

Yeesh 7' long snakes! F-that....the biggest snakes we have are maybe 2' and really thin. lol


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## dixiemama

Pine snakes get 10 feet and we have killed a 4 and a 7 so far this year. One was in the house and the other was climbing up the garage wall (its wood sided). We know how the one got in the house-- I was painting and had everything open to air out. We have a good size feral cat population and haven't seen a single snake in 5 years so I didn't think I needed to worry about it. 

We have heavy brush behind the house that will thankfully be cleared soon so I can keep a closer out.


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## k0xxx

*Kattscrowd* It could also be that hens just naturally reduce their egg output when it gets hot. We're a ways east of you, but our hens always slow down in July and August.


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## rawhide2971

MOMTURTLE your my kind of lady, I cant believe how many of ya'll want to harm one of natures best rat catchers, come on ya'll give them a chance, I know you gotta protect your hens and biddies and the eggs but I bet keeping the rats down is more important than loosing a few eggs, I have taught my Grands to try and live with nature and not kill Jake no shoulders unless absolutely necessary, now I know the poisonous ones sometimes have to be taken out when we have to many around and little kids are libel to get mixed up with them and here in SC we do have a fair number of them buttttttttttt we try......or at least I try. We do have a good number of relocated northern neighbors that seem to be sensitive to them and no amount of talking that I do seems to help.....the boys do learn some colorful language I do admit.


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## farmers

I put wetable suffer down every spring. It works. But love the egg one.


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## *Andi

rawhide2971 said:


> MOMTURTLE your my kind of lady, I cant believe how many of ya'll want to harm one of natures best rat catchers, come on ya'll give them a chance, I know you gotta protect your hens and biddies and the eggs but I bet keeping the rats down is more important than loosing a few eggs, I have taught my Grands to try and live with nature and not kill Jake no shoulders unless absolutely necessary, now I know the poisonous ones sometimes have to be taken out when we have to many around and little kids are libel to get mixed up with them and here in SC we do have a fair number of them buttttttttttt we try......or at least I try. We do have a good number of relocated northern neighbors that seem to be sensitive to them and no amount of talking that I do seems to help.....the boys do learn some colorful language I do admit.


You are correct (and I agree ) ... they are one of natures best rat catchers but once they make the meal change to cute little kittens, soft baby bunnies, puff ball chicks and eggs.

Then they have to deal with me. (sorry)


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## smaj100

Im sorry I dont care what folks say about mice v snakes. The only good snake is a dead snake!!! I'm not a big fan of cats either but you can pet them if you really wanted to. I'm not petting no snake!!! They do taste good with ketchup or bbq sauce though...... 

I take every chance I get to practice my shooting skills on snakes. My wife thinks its funny when I am shooting at them until they are after her, or she's standing on the 4 wheeler with the snake under it!


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## LincTex

I relocate them when I can, unless it is a major threat to livestock and kids/people. Then I just kill them if they are near our AO...


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## Kattscrowd

Around here if we relocate 'em, the come back and bring their friends and I don't deal with terror well. My youngest daughter has a future in horror flicks as the first person killed for her horror scream.. the youngest son comes screaming for his pistol (he's 10 and a fair shot.. but when he's as white as a ghost and all that shows is freckles and big eyes, I'd rather have Dad with him to guide :eyebulge: ) And the fact that I'm deathly afraid of snakes.. snakes *must* die here. I have geese and cats for mouse and vole remover. Don't even get me started on possum relocating!!!! 
I want to try the ceramic eggs.. but haven't found them. The glass egg sounds really promising though and it gives me a great excuse to go to visit a craft store when I get to go to town, the hubster cringes  ) I'll have to try that... and it is summer in AR, it's a tad warm, so that could be the girls problem.. also my silkie and cochin have gone majorly broody in my bantam pen.. so maybe even the non-sitters are in sympathy :dunno: Lots of things to think about.. but that snake (or snakes) gotta go!!! :sorry3:
snake lovers!


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## rawhide2971

Ok but when the SHTF and you have killed all the snakes and the Bubonic Plague brakes out and this is what your kids look like don't say you were not warned.


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## millertimedoneright

I would much rather have a cat around to kill rats than a snake...the only snake I don't kill is a king snake cuz he eats other snakes...


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## Country Living

I couldn't figure out how the rat snakes were getting in the chicken coop during the night until I staked it out one night. We have 4' 1/2" hardware cloth all around the bottom of the coop, buried another 6" to keep the diggers out, closed in the rest of the coop with chicken wire. The darn snake was squeezing through a very small gap in the door (made with 2" PVC pipe and hardware cloth). I bent a piece of hardware cloth around the door and tie it in place when I close up the coop at night so there's not a gap there any more. No more night crawlers.

During the day - different story. The coop is open so the chickens can free-range. A chicken came screaming out of the brushy ditch near the coop last week because a rat snake scared it. We normally leave the rat snakes alone. BUT, if they slither into the coop they're turkey vulture food.

Living where we live, I'd rather keep the rat snakes around because of the field mice. The copperheads don't like being around people areas so they stay out in the brush and we always wear boots when we're in the brushy areas. We make a lot of noise if we're near or in the lake so the water moccasins will swim away.

A copperhead or a water moccasin got one of the dogs a few weeks ago - her face swelled up like a basketball. It was one of those freak accidents - the dogs were chasing a rabbit down by the lake, this one lost sight of it and was trying to get the scent while running through the brush and she startled the snake.

This is our first snake bite in all these years. I took her to the vet and he gave her a few shots to help her with the swelling and discomfort and then told me what to do if it happened again.


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## k0xxx

Country Living said:


> (snip) The copperheads don't like being around people areas so they stay out in the brush and we always wear boots when we're in the brushy areas. (Snip)


I wish that your would teach ours that trick. We have found them around the house numerous times, including on our cement front porch. I do dislike me a copperhead! lol


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## LincTex

Country Living said:


> .... and then told me what to do if it happened again.


And that would be?


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## smaj100

Benadryl, you can google the doses. Ours got into some snakes when they were still around as pups and we made an emergency late night weekend ph call to our farm vet. He said give them Benadryl, just like for people. I wanna say it was 25mg per 50lbs of dog but please don't quote me on that. IT worked swelling went don't on both dogs and their faces returned to normal overnight and they slept like babies.... 

One more reason I shoot the snakes...


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## *Andi

rawhide2971 ~ That is why we keep 4 thieves oil on hand ...


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## Country Living

LincTex said:


> And that would be?


As smaj100 said - Benadryl. 1mg per pound. Our dogs are 35 pounds so I would give them one and a half tabs. I could go to two capsules if I didn't have the tablets. Give it as soon as you realize the dog has been bit. Get the dog to a vet if there is respiratory distress (dog, not yours). The vet said, unlike people, dogs are pretty resilient and resistant to snake venom.

The vet also said the main problem with a snake bite is not necessarily with the venom, it's with whatever the snake just ate. Mice carry a myriad of diseases that can be transmitted through a snake bite so infection is a big concern.

He said out here the coral snakes are the most dangerous and to call him immediately if the dogs were bit by one. We don't have the rattlesnake problem some of you have in South and West Texas.

Regardless of the kind of snake, Benadryl..... Right now I have about 1,000 tabs / capsules of it in our storage area. Yes, I'm watching the expiration dates; but, not to worry since humans and dogs take it for allergies.


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## smaj100

Hey folks something that just prompted a memory from the last post. DW is an RN and a pharmacist tech in a previous life. I've learned over the years if you are looking to cut a tablet in half to try and tailor a dose, for humans or pets look for a line on the tablet. If there is no line then there is no guarantee from the big pharm that made the pill that the doses will be equal in both halves.

I never knew this before she stopped me one day doing what we have all been talking about for giving a pet a lesser dose. Just thought I would share. Knowledge is power........


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## Country Living

A good pill cutter makes all the difference on unscored tablets. My NP Thyroid pills are not scored; however, I'm able to make a clean cut with the pill cutter.


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## smaj100

Sorry I may not have been very clear. It's not about how you cut the pills in half or with what. Example of benadryl, lets say each tablet is a 10mg dose, with no line or pre-score line. You stick it in a pill cutter and cut it perfectly in half, each 1/2 of that 10mg tablet doesn't = 5mg, could be a 2mg & 8mg, or 4mg & 6mg, or worse 1mg & 9mg. 

Only tablets with a line marked on them are guaranteed from the pharmaceutical co that each half will indeed be 5mg following the same example.


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## LincTex

Country Living said:


> Yes, I'm watching the expiration dates; but, not to worry since humans and dogs take it for allergies.


I have benadryl that "expired" in 2006 that I took the other day, still works fine. I seldom buy it.


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## LincTex

smaj100 said:


> Only tablets with a line marked on them are guaranteed from the pharmaceutical co that each half will indeed be 5mg following the same example.


I think that's an old wives tale.

I have seen, installed and setup the equipment used to make the powder batches, that Rx powder mixture is THOROUGHLY mixed before it even makes it way to the tablet/caplet press. I really have no reason to believe the make-up of ingredient varies from one side of a tablet to the other. I am certain that the line is there as and aid to cut it, not to guarantee the consistency of ingredients is equal.


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## tsrwivey

We were taught it in nursing school way back when. We don't cut unless its scored. Do I do it in my personal life? All the time 


The Benadryl dose for dogs is 0.5mg-1mg per pound (about the same for young kids BTW). So a 40lb dog can have 20mg-40mg. Benadryl is good for calming dogs down during a storm too.


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## Country Living

smaj100 said:


> Sorry I may not have been very clear. It's not about how you cut the pills in half or with what. Example of benadryl, lets say each tablet is a 10mg dose, with no line or pre-score line. You stick it in a pill cutter and cut it perfectly in half, each 1/2 of that 10mg tablet doesn't = 5mg, could be a 2mg & 8mg, or 4mg & 6mg, or worse 1mg & 9mg.
> 
> Only tablets with a line marked on them are guaranteed from the pharmaceutical co that each half will indeed be 5mg following the same example.


I agree with LincTex.... the line is just an aid to split the tablet. If we follow your statement one more step, some pills in the bottle may have more... some less.... of the various ingredients, including fillers. The FDA would pitch a hissy fit if one pill was chemically different from another one in the same batch or even batch to batch.

It doesn't pass the logic check to think part of the tablet would have less medicine than the other part, more so since all the ingredients are added together in a huge vat of some sort and then pressed into their respective sizes and shapes. Our insurance company has even asked us to get larger doses and split pills where practical to save on costs.


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## smaj100

Apparently there is some truth to both sides of this practice. I only did a quick search and this being one of the first few hits that returned I scanned the article quickly.

The dr being quoted in the article clearly states some meds should not be split and list's a few and then proceeds to say that some are ok. So I'll take we are all correct. You can in fact split some meds and shouldn't split others.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/pill-splitting-when-is-it-safe-when-is-it-unsafe?page=3


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## LincTex

smaj100 said:


> The Dr being quoted in the article clearly states some meds should not be split and list's a few





> *Drugs that are time-release or long-acting.*


I had heard of that before.... but I still split as needed anyway. 
Mainly the generic "12 hour" pseudoephedrine 120mg caplets that are WAY cheaper (per mg of Rx) than 40mg tablets. I had wondered if I was going to affect the "time release function" for the exact reason the article stated, but in practice I have found that particular med doesn't matter. Its sure tastes nastier though, since the "guts" are exposed.... oh well.


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## jimLE

*the minnow trap is a good idea.and one thing you can do after catching one..skin it and save the meat and skin..you have snake meat to eat when needed.and you can do 1 of 2 things with the skin.make belts and head/hat bands with them.or sell the skin to someone..*


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## Caribou

I've had more than one doctor tell me not to split my extended release pills as it will affect the release time and possibly dosage. 

No snakes in Alaska. You guys reaffirm my decision to stay here.


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## weedygarden

Caribou said:


> I've had more than one doctor tell me not to split my extended release pills as it will affect the release time and possibly dosage.
> 
> No snakes in Alaska. You guys reaffirm my decision to stay here.


Really, no snakes in Alaska? I read that every state has rattlesnakes.


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## Caribou

weedygarden said:


> Really, no snakes in Alaska? I read that every state has rattlesnakes.


No snakes and up until 30 or 40 years ago no poisonous spiders. Now we have the brown recluse that came up in cargo containers.


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## txcatlady

I have sulfer around my pen and put golf balls in nesting boxes. My brother would blow eggs out and put a hook attached to fishing line, tie it off and put hot glue on openings. Mad snakes! I would know I had a snake when golf balls started missing. Found them out in woods. If snake couldn't get out before me, I would kill it and get my golf balls back. My daughter heard that snakes don't like the smell of cats and that will help cut down on snakes around pens.


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## Country Living

One vet told me he carefully poked a hole in the large end of the egg, inserted a fishing hook attached to a line, and sealed the hole with glue. He tied the line to something sturdy and covered it (hay, etc.) so it wouldn't be in the way of the hens going in and out of the nesting area.

We free-range the chickens so the gate to the pen and the coop are open during the day. Only a couple of rat snakes got into the coop this summer and that was because the Guineas were roaming around the ranch at the time. The Guineas have managed to corner a few rat snakes just outside the pen that surrounds the coop (the pen has hardware cloth). I thought the Guineas would have killed them; however, they just made sure the snakes went off into the hay meadow - anyplace besides the coop. I did get two snake catchers as a just in case - one to keep on the front porch and one is in the coop. 

The rat snakes can eat all the field mice and gophers they want any place on the ranch - just stay away from the chicken area.


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## Davarm

I think I've posted this somewhere before, dont remember but.....


Put a clutch of eggs inside a chicken wire cage, when the snake goes in and swollows eggs it wont be able to get back out until the eggs break down and crack inside them.

Check the trap every day and dispose of the snakes as needed.


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