Intruder in the Hen House

[Western]

My uncle always kept a few Guineas around and as a kid I never asked why! so I'll ask now! WHY!

What Crash325 said and to add to that, Guineas are He## on wheels for snakes, maybe not big snakes, but will surely raise cane if they see one. As a kid we used to catch grass snakes or ribbon snakes and throw them into a group of granddads Guineas, you wouldn't believe the ruckus and nine out if ten times they killed it.

 

[heehaw]

around here, CrackerBarrel sells the ceramic eggs: an they are cheaper than the same thing at the local farmers co-op: my daughter an husband just lost all their chickens to a opposum that was getting in the pen: so they have decided to just start buying their eggs.
heehaw

 

[Grayson Klassen]

Possums are viscious little creatures caught one in a live trap once and the little guy was totally on board to tearing me to pieces when I tried to evict him.

 

[crash325]

What Crash325 said and to add to that, Guineas are He## on wheels for snakes, maybe not big snakes, but will surely raise cane if they see one. As a kid we used to catch grass snakes or ribbon snakes and throw them into a group of granddads Guineas, you wouldn't believe the ruckus and nine out if ten times they killed it.

Quail are also he!! on snakes, including rattle snakes. Road runners will take on the biggest rattle snakes around.

I believe that the quail here are related to bob white's in the east & south, Maybe even related to guineas??
Picture is a rattler killed by the quail.

 

[Mace Canute]

Possums are viscious little creatures caught one in a live trap once and the little guy was totally on board to tearing me to pieces when I tried to evict him.

They certainly have the means to do so ...

 

[stub]

Having had both snakes and guineas, I'll take the snakes. Watch dog is a stretch. My dog knows who I am and sees no need to sound the alarm when I appear, my guineas never got it. Every time you step out your door, or something moves, or the wind blows, or a cloud comes in the sky, they holler. I never saw mine kill anything, but they did holler continuously, really loud. Maybe that's what runs the snakes off. They must eat a lot of bugs cause I'd throw out feed and the chickens would have it all gone before the guinaes figured out what it was. YMMV.

 

[weedpharma]

The Australian method of catching snakes is to put an egg either side of a chicken wire fence. The snake will swallow the first one then go through the wire and swallow the other. It is then trapped with a bulge either side of the wire...........

Weedpharma

 

[Localmotion]

Just got my first snake injury this morning from some type of Viper (not sure which one, but my Algerian friend Willy says it is very dangerous by Spanish standards).

Willy found it heading towards the hen house and was trying to catch it to kill it. Not knowing what was going on I walked up behind him just as he flicked then snake away from the fence (and towards me). I should point out that while not many things frighten me, I do hate snakes and normally find myself involuntary walking / running in the opposite direction whenever I see one

Well today the same irrational self-presivation kicked in and I turned to move quickly away, except still being in my dressing gown and slippers (well it is Easter Friday) I slipped on a muddy patch, fell and dislocated my shoulder!

So that is my snake injury... :ashamed:

On the up side, Willy did eventually catch the snake and kill it... afterwards we measured it and it was 2 metres exactly - the largest Viper either of us has seen to date

 

[DIRTROAD]

The Australian method of catching snakes is to put an egg either side of a chicken wire fence. The snake will swallow the first one then go through the wire and swallow the other. It is then trapped with a bulge either side of the wire...........

Weedpharma

I might try this and set up my game camera to catch the action!!!

 

[DIRTROAD]

Thanks for all the advice. I do need to take some kind of action.

I am thinking of getting a cat because I have noticed an increase in mice over the winter. They come out to get the chicken's feed after the chickens roost for the night. I have sat out at the pen after dark and shot them with rat shot shells in my .22 pistol. That just gets old though. It is way too easy.

Any thoughts??