# Hard lesson



## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

I had a cage disaster last afternoon. Our porch houses the special guys Mr. Hooter, Beti and others in special cages. I have some of them in those large -large parrot cages. One was my new blind baby ( probably hurt as a squab) a rattle snake crawled in and the rest is to awful to relate, but heads up to everyone I found out the hard way, parrot cages don't work outside, when the snakes are out for the season. It was a sad sad night at our place. Mr. Hooter and Fanny are moved to a safer pen..... Does any one know how to discourage snakes? We are having a BIG problem this year at our place.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I'm sorry to hear about the snake and the baby, that must have been pretty
awful for you. The only way I know of to keep an indoor cage out of doors 
would be to reinforce all sides w/1/4" hardware cloth and then you'd have to wonder why not think about a small aviary? Maybe others have
some more ideas on the topic for you.

fp


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## abisai (Jan 30, 2007)

Yup feralpigeon is right . . . line the cage with 1/4" mesh. It keeps the sparrows out of my cockatiel cage. Seems like I was feeding the entire neighborhood sparrow colony as these agressive little ones would bully the cockatiels out of their seeds. The cage is not as attractive, but the cockatiels are happier and healthier. 

A.C.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Oh, Boni I'm so sorry to hear about your loss...how awful!
Glad that Fanny & Mr. Hooters are okay though.

eek -I didn't even think about snakes being a concern - thank you for sharing your experience. What a heads-up...hopefully it will save some birds.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I'm sure sorry to hear about your disaster, Boni! 

Sure hope you can snake proof! YIKES!!

Keep us posted!

HUGS

Shi


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

My heart goes out to you, Boni. 
What a awful, terrible thing to come home to.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

There is a product available in some states that is granules you can spread around the perimeter you want to protect from snakes. It is simply a snake repellant. It is smelly so I would not use it immediately adjacent to the cage, but maybe at some discreet distance. Something to consider. I have not read the packaging closely myself...it may be a wholly natural product, not sure.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

kippermom said:


> There is a product available in some states that is granules you can spread around the perimeter you want to protect from snakes. It is simply a snake repellant. It is smelly so I would not use it immediately adjacent to the cage, but maybe at some discreet distance. Something to consider. I have not read the packaging closely myself...it may be a wholly natural product, not sure.


Wal Mart sells it.


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Well if that snake repellent works as well as the skunk repellent ask for your money back . We have skunks under a shed in our back yard and nothing gets rid of them  . They were real cute as babies but I really wish they would move on. They aren't afraid of anything. Oh and the skunk wars during mating season P-U!!!!
The only natural thing that ever took one out for me was a mama racoon teaching her babies to hunt. That was quite a sight -- my cat got me up at 3:30 one morning to watch -- I think she wanted to help! Not even a whiff of odor on that one, so momma did her job right. All that was left when we went outside after sunrise was a piece of the skunk's tail. WHOA! Racoons are tough.


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Boni, I'm really sorry about your little bird getting got by the snake. I think you've gotten good advice about wiring your cages with hardware cloth. Don't forget the tops as well. 
Snakes can get pretty flat. I get them inside the house from time to time. Fortunately for us (the snake and the people) they are just little garter snakes or rat snakes, so we just pick 'em up and return them to the great outdoors under some bushes so they stand a chance against the magpies and crows who seem to really enjoy fresh snake. 
I don't know what works against rattlers unless you can encourage birds like roadrunners (if you have them there) to nest on your property. 
I love snakes, but I'm afraid I would have to do in rattlers if they came to the house as they are too dangerous to live with in close proximity especially since I have a child.


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## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and ideas- I love this site!


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Yup, raccoon are fierce--part of the bear family. Boni Birds, I just wanted to clarify that when I said all sides I was referring to all sides/surfaces, in other
words this would include the top and the bottom. If you bring the cage in at
night and basically are sunning them out of doors during the day and don't want an aviary or to make your bird's cage 'ugly' all of the time w/the hardware cloth, check out the pictures in LadyTarheel's current thread:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=20667

You could make an enclosure that was perhaps big enough to place your cage inside of and remove the cage back indoors, leaving the outer hardware cloth
cage outdoors. Perhaps have a removable top.

fp


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Boni, I'm really sorry this happened. A friend of mine had a similar thing happen to a little conure she was rehabbing and had him in her garage. A big black snake managed to get through the cage wire and kill him.

fp - I doubt seriously our cages are snake proof because of the top. The top fits well but any serious snake could, I think, pretty easily raise the top and get in. We have had many pigeons in our garage in these cages but we put weights , like bricks, or anything heavy on top - just in case - and so far no problem with anything getting in. But, even with the weights, a really hungry, strong snake could probably get in.


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## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

Thank you everyone, we have had two more rattlers up on the front area, sniffing out for a bird dinner, but everyone is battened down for the snake wars. We are relocating rather than killing, but it is harrowing messing with those rattling guys! We are all a bit hyper to every bark from the snake warning dogs, to that rattling sound. We had a big king snake show up too- guess he heard about the pigeon convention out front!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am sorry all those snakes show up now in your yard.
Another reason I don't like the parrot cages for ourdoors is, we had a Cockatoo come to the clinic who had his leg ripped off by a racoon who reached into the cage and grabbed the poor bird's leg.
Hope you solve the snake problem.

Reti


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## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

I have already gotten rid of one of those cages! That is worse than horrible!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Outside cages need to be rat proof as well.


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