I was out there working on the pen when all of the birds gathered around and started talking towards something on the ground. I know that behavior, I've seen it many times.
Sure enough, before I could get over to where they were I could see it slithering away. What was surprising is seeing the birds take pokes at it. They stayed surrounding it as it moved into the woods. It went to ground somewhere because they lost it and decided their job was done.
I didn't hear a rattle so it probably was a large garter snake.
I was out there working on the pen when all of the birds gathered around and started talking towards something on the ground. I know that behavior, I've seen it many times.
Sure enough, before I could get over to where they were I could see it slithering away. What was surprising is seeing the birds take pokes at it. They stayed surrounding it as it moved into the woods. It went to ground somewhere because they lost it and decided their job was done.
I didn't hear a rattle so it probably was a large garter snake.
If the snake isn't massive they will. It's how I know something is there most of the time. They actually discuss what it is they're looking down at.
The last time I saw it was when we still lived in TN. The snake was massive, black and yellow and about six feet long. Probably weight 20 pounds, the hubs called it a chicken snake. This time they were lined up on the outside of their pen looking down and talking. When I took a step towards where they were was when I spotted it.
And of course the rattlesnake this year but that was a single Guinea that spotted it.
I had a egg eating snake raiding nests all summer. I certainly could have used your guineas! My poor homers tried nesting repeatedly, but once a week the loft or the coop was raided, so the four squabs I have now are the first to survive (so far). I did some remodeling and worked on the roof. I sure hope that takes care of the problem. Of course, now that the weather is cooling the snakes wont be as active as they were.
That's where hardware cloth is so effective. I've had them get in the Guinea pen, swallow an egg then get stuck trying to get out because they didn't fit through the wire anymore.
One trick a breeder used was to lay that plastic bird netting on the ground around around her pens. She left it in a puddle. When snakes tried to get in her pens they got wound up in the netting. Worked pretty well since she lived in rattlesnake country.
That's where hardware cloth is so effective. I've had them get in the Guinea pen, swallow an egg then get stuck trying to get out because they didn't fit through the wire anymore.
One trick a breeder used was to lay that plastic bird netting on the ground around around her pens. She left it in a puddle. When snakes tried to get in her pens they got wound up in the netting. Worked pretty well since she lived in rattlesnake country.
When I lived in Harlan, Kentucky, I once asked a Gamefowl Old-Timer what type Chicken Snakes he had a problem with on his property. He said "the ######### type that eat my chickens".
Yeah, those are the only ones that get big in Ohio.
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