Okay all-powerful and wise OB. I live in the country and encounter plenty of snakes. I have a 5ft rat snake living in our hen house and he usually stays in a super-tight space between the wooden hen boxes and the tin from the barn. The few times I've seen him he quickly slithers back behind the boxes where there's no way I can get to him.

Any ideas how to get him to come out? He's taking eggs but we also have a new baby chick that just hatched which I'm sure he'd love to have but so far momma hen has done a good job of protecting.

I've thought of removing the chickens then blowing up the entire thing or burning it down. But really don't want to do that. Oh, and to the snake apologists: IF, I can get him to come out I plan to carefully remove him, sing him a sweet lullaby and then chop his head clean off.

I see two options, come at him from the barn side. you can replace tin with ease. Or...each time you are out there take your pellet rifle, if you can see any part of him where he hides, put a pellet in said location. recycle until problem solved.

You could try gassing/smoking them out. Just be careful about open flames or you might end up killing it with fire anyway...

Call this guy...

Wrong emoticon..

Thought about gas/smoke but didn't want to take a chance at hurting baby chicks. I might try and remove tin from barn. That sounds like a good idea - thanks!

I'd agree wth C4D, stalk him with the pellet gun.

Of course, I look for any excuse to out the red dot on something and whisper in its ear.

I have chickens myself and have had issues with snakes in the past. I have HEARD you can put in a small egg sized lightbulb and he will supposedly eat that, but Ive never done it, and it sounds like a wives tale. For me, the ONE time I had one, he got in a tight spot and I just OJ'ed him with a machete. However, the driver for this was that when I went to the chicken coop, he was coiled around one of my young pullets as it was starting to draw its last breaths. So, I flogged him with my foot, and then he hid behind the nest boxes. They are strong, so, after he bled out, I could grab him and pull him out.

Agree. Small white light bulbs. The way dad always did when we were growing up. Snakes eats bulbs. Bulb shatters. Kills snake.

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Call this guy...

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I kept hoping the snake would strike so he would stop playing that awful screeching music.

Bring in an Indigo and let it slither in where the rat snake resides.

Problem solved!

yes, yes YES

You can buy a wood or plastic egg from your feed dealer. Put it In a nest . When he eats it he will not be able to crush it and digest it. Then say goodbye to your egg thief .

I think this thread was edited

Well.....bad news. I opted for the 'smoke him out' method.....bad choice. I had some hay in the coop and it was dryer than I thought. Long story short, I lost 2 chickens, about 3/4 of the coop, and about a 1/5th of an acre before I could get the fire out. Thanks for the advice!!

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Well.....bad news. I opted for the 'smoke him out' method.....bad choice. I had some hay in the coop and it was dryer than I thought. Long story short, I lost 2 chickens, about 3/4 of the coop, and about a 1/5th of an acre before I could get the fire out. Thanks for the advice!!

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The indigo nor light bulbs would have spontaneously burst into flames and torched your coop.

Sorry for your loss.

Wtf.

Problem solved though.

Crap man. Glad it didnt burn further. Dadgum u wernt fn round

P.S.

OP, you have balls to post your failure here. Prepare for a many positive comments.

Pics or it didn't happen

Lol. City folk just cant understand what the term '**** happens' really means!

Out here, you never know WHAT the hell is next.

Glad op survived all eyebrows intact. Too bad the chickens were well done.

All the snake lovers are rejoicing. Snake Lives Matter!!!!

Poor lost souls

This thread delivers

Take an egg and drill a small hole in one end. First, place a small piece of scotch tape on one end of the egg before drilling. The tape helps prevent the egg from cracking while drilling. An Exacto knife or sharp point of a pocket knife drills an OK hole. Make the hole big enough to insert a large fish hook inside of the egg. Tie some mono-filament to the eye of the hook, insert it, then cover the small hole with tape. Anchor the other end of the string to something stationary. Set the loaded egg in a nest or on the ground. The snake will swallow the egg, crush it and get hooked. It works.

Any idea that starts with "Wayne, hold my beer" shouldn't be taken as the highest and best.

White Golf balls.

Empty a 12ga shotgun at the area where the snake nests and tell stories for years as to how the barn and hen house were damaged!

Depending on where you are located, there's an Aggie owned pest/snake removal company, Wreckin' Crew Pest Removal. It's owned by a former member of the wreckin' crew, but I can't remember if it is Quentin Coryatt or Marcus Buckley.

We're going to need some pics

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Take an egg and drill a small hole in one end. First, place a small piece of scotch tape on one end of the egg before drilling. The tape helps prevent the egg from cracking while drilling. An Exacto knife or sharp point of a pocket knife drills an OK hole. Make the hole big enough to insert a large fish hook inside of the egg. Tie some mono-filament to the eye of the hook, insert it, then cover the small hole with tape. Anchor the other end of the string to something stationary. Set the loaded egg in a nest or on the ground. The snake will swallow the egg, crush it and get hooked. It works.

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Jesus Christ.