# How to stop rat snake eating my pigeon babies! HELP!!!



## psx9 (Sep 2, 2010)

Can anybody please advice me any effective way to protect my baby chicks? I have fancy pigeons of several kinds. I have lost more than a dozen fledgling checks due to the rat snakes. I caught one 6 footer snake but there are more. I use stop-snake repellent but it is not working. Any advice will be really appreciated!

Thanks,

Peter


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

psx9 said:


> Can anybody please advice me any effective way to protect my baby chicks? I have fancy pigeons of several kinds. I have lost more than a dozen fledgling checks due to the rat snakes. I caught one 6 footer snake but there are more. I use stop-snake repellent but it is not working. Any advice will be really appreciated!
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Peter


I can tell you what worked for me. My mom about had a heart attack about 10 yrs ago when she had 2 Diamondback Rattlesnakes in her garage / laundry room. I disposed of the snakes and made a hat band out of the 6 footer..but the point is a friend of the family told us a "old world" cure for keeping snakes away. 
He said get pig manure..not the fresh stuff but the dirt that pigs crap in and roll around in and sprinkle that around the house. I filled 2 five gallon buckets with this "top soil" from a pig pen and spread it all around her house. 
She hasn't once in over 10 years called to have me remove a snake from her place again. Before this "treatment"..she said every summer they would "get bad". Maybe its a coincidence or maybe snakes are just scared of pigs. 
This a cheap preventative as any pig farmer would be glad to give you his pig pen dirt. I know it may sound gross but that stuff is excellent fertilizer.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

You can make modifications to the nest boxes if not to the loft, keep the nest boxes closed at night.

Snakes generally don't like to target places with human movement for regular hunting but nobody will resist an easy meal. A secured loft is the best idea.


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Secure the loft. Are there any openings in which the snakes can come through? Can you post a picture of your loft? Also, what size of wire do you use?


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I agree- secure the loft.
Nothing larger than 1/2 inch wire mesh, NO CHICKEN WIRE. No gaps in doors or walls


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