Do chickens attract snakes in Australia?

Do Chickens Attract Snakes?

Before answering the question, do chickens attract snakes in Australia, it is worth mentioning Australia’s wildlife, which is impressively diverse. If you’re living in a suburb, you may come across a vivid Rainbow Lorikeet one sunny morning or find a Common Brushtail Possum casually walking around your backyard.

Finding an unexpected animal visitor may be welcome, a rather graceful subject for a nice Instagram post. However, some backyard visitors are not quite as attractive….

We have an international reputation of having some of the world’s most vicious and venomous snakes. Although annual snakebite deaths in Australia are not as numerous as compared to other snake prone regions (South Africa has an average of 476 snakebite deaths per year as opposed to Australia which has around 2 to 3 snakebite and related deaths per year), caution is always better than cure.

Thankfully, most venomous snakes in Australia don’t mount an attack unless severely threatened. We’re also the only country with an efficient snake venom detection kit. Available antivenoms, coverage of snakebite treatment by Medicare and the prompt response by the Royal Flying Doctors have made snakebite management more robust.

Why do chicken coops attract snakes

Humans are not the only victim to snakebites. Snakes tend to feel threatened in the presence of domesticated animals as well and may often lash to bite them as well. Research found that dogs are more likely to die from snakebites than cats.

Many Australians also wonder, do chicken coops attract snakes? It is because most of them have backyard chicken coops, which attract quite a lot of their predators including cats, hawks, and foxes. Chicken eggs, adults and even younglings serve as a great source of nutrition for snakes, so the most common reason why a snake might get inside a coop is hunger.

Additionally, snakes enter chicken coops to quench their thirst as water is almost always available inside coops as well as for shelter. Large snakes can devour live chickens, while venomous snakes may endanger chickens through lethal bites. Moreover, humans, especially children are often taken by surprise when they casually reach down to bring out an egg or two and find a hiding snake in the bedding. Either way, we definitely want to avoid snakes inside a chicken coop!

Why do chickens attract snakes in Australia?

How do snakes enter chicken coops? Snakes have a soft and slender body which allows them to slither through holes. Snakes can even invade coops by going through, over and underneath fencing. Because snakes don’t eat every day, it might be difficult for you to notice something strange happening inside and around the chicken coops. It could actually take somewhere between 4 - 40 days or even more until you notice a missing or injured chicken. Following are some indicators of snake invasions in your chicken coop:

  • Abandoned snake skin
  • Regurgitated egg shells
  • Missing chickens and eggs
  • Dead chickens (with a wet head)

How to protect your chickens from snakes

As snakes enter chicken coops unannounced often at the dead of night, learning how to protect chickens from snakes and making coops snake-proof is the best way to prevent snakes from getting inside chicken coops. Some approaches to snake-proofing a coop include:

  1. Covering all openings and holes.
  2. Using meshes and hardware clothes with holes less than ¼ inch.
  3. Raising the elevation of coops.
  4. Getting rid of any unwanted debris around and inside the yard.
  5. Keeping the grass levelled and clearing out bushes and tall grass.
  6. Keeping the rodent population around and inside the yard under control.
  7. Keeping the rodent population around and inside the yard under control.

In addition, you can also install battery powered or solar snake repellers around the coop. EnviroBug snake repellers are designed for Australian conditions and emit vibrations of varied frequencies, which ground snakes often perceive as large animals and by extension, danger. The frequency will change every 7 days so that snakes don’t get used to the vibrations. The vibrations won’t bother the chickens or any other pets you have.

FAQ

➕ Do chickens eat snakes?

Snakes do not belong to the main diet of chickens, however, if the size of these reptiles is insignificant, they may well be eaten by chickens.

Another instance in which a hen may regard a snake as food is when protecting a clutch of eggs from this creeping predator.

➕ How do snakes eat chicken eggs?

In general, eating eggs is a very “profitable” occupation. On the one hand, it is a nutritious and high-calorie product; on the other hand, prey that does not run away and does not resist. Therefore, among the reptiles there are many who are happy to diversify their menu with a randomly found masonry of birds or other mammals. Especially often, various snakes eat bird eggs. Moreover, unlike lizards, snakes swallow the whole egg without losing a single drop of valuable product. In some of them, the shell is then dissolved in gastric juice or crushed due to contractions of the body muscles.

EnviroBug blog and resources

You may be interested in...

Products

sale
EnviroBug Powerful Solar Snake Repellers (8th Generation)
EnviroBug Powerful Solar Snake Repellers (8th Generation) from $98.00 $110.00
The Original Since 2008 - Now in its 8th Generation. Don't compromise when it comes to protecting your family & pets from deadly snakes EnviroBug offers the strongest, most effective, most solar-powered snake repellers you can buy to protect you from deadly Australian ground snakes. EnviroBug revolutionised your family's protection when we launched the original snake repeller in Australia 16 long years ago. We continually improve our products - our 8th generation repellers are more reliable and more adaptable than ever before. Proven Effectiveness: EnviroBug's repellers are recognised as the most powerful and reliable solar snake repellers in the market. Will operate for up to 10 days without sun, ensuring protection even on overcast days and at night. They provide superior protection for your family and pets by effectively keeping deadly ground snakes at a distance. Prevention Over Cure: With 80% of snake bites occurring during human intervention, EnviroBug's approach focuses on prevention. By keeping snakes away, the risk of accidental encounters, bites, or confrontations is significantly reduced, ensuring safer outdoor spaces. Advanced Vibration Technology: The EnviroBug solar snake repeller employs a powerful vibrating motor that emits variable vibration frequencies, covering a wider area more effectively. This technology not only ensures a broader protective barrier but also adapts to prevent snakes from getting accustomed to the vibrations. Established Track Record: Thousands of customers have trusted EnviroBug's solar snake repellers over more than 16 years, using them to maintain snake-free properties in the harshest Australian conditions. This long-term, widespread customer satisfaction underscores our repellers' powerful track record of keeping venomous snakes at bay. *We have received numerous reports of duped EnviroBug snake repellers - make sure you are buying the genuine article, even if they look similar! Note: Ultrasonic repellers are not effective against snakes! Be safe out there.*
sale
Termite Ninja - DIY Complete Eradication Kit - Envirobug
Termite Ninja - Ultimate DIY Termite Eradication System from $297.00 $891.00
Termite Ninja - Safe, Effective, Affordable Protection. Designed to give you professional-grade termite prevention and treatment, EnviroBug TermiteNinja bait traps can be installed by you in minutes – and will save you thousands of dollars in the process. Our customers love this product so much that we have never had a kit returned. Why TermiteNinja? Get professional grade protection – but save 80% to 90% vs. paying an exterminator (Save over $4,000 for a large house) Don’t get locked into an ‘inspection’ cost (save $900 every year!) – there is no cost to monitor for termites with our system Install yourself in minutes – no need to pay a professional No nasty chemicals – safe for you, safe for kids and pets - BUT JUST AS DEADLY TO TERMITES Simple to visually inspect (no touching) Don’t pay absurd markups for inferior/poisonous products It is the only system that allows you to directly install termite bait stations to monitor and treat termites anywhere – not just on the ground. Treat termites on walls Treat termites on the ground Treat termites in the ground Treat termites on stumps and patios They can even be painted to match your house! The termite bait is applied directly onto the spot where termites are active; no guessing, hoping or approximation Our system directly targets the queen (like a Ninja!) – her trusty soldiers carry the treatment back to the nest and once she dies, this will trigger a colony collapse. Why choose EnviroBug DIY Termite Ninja Multi-Purpose Termite Control Monitor & Bait stations compared with others?   The flexibility of Termite Ninja Monitor & Bait Traps compared with other traps:        What you get with your EnviroBug DIY termite Ninja monitor and bait system: Everything you need to monitor, attract and kill. You get your selected number of termite Ninja multi-purpose bait traps combo complete with all the components ready to assemble and position ready to go to work. You also receive a full complement of termite attractants and termite killer baits. You can buy additional baits and Killer Bait Powder Treatments separately on our website as needed in the future. Immediately following purchase you will receive, by email, our step by step guide to help you identify the best places to install, and how to treat termites, as well as videos to ensure your system is set up quickly and easily. There are pack sizes to suit all of your needs.Our system allows you to carry out your own regular termite inspections looking for telltale signs of termite activity inside the bait stations. It is still advisable to arrange an annual termite inspection with a timber pest controller as they will have electronic sensing devices to identify damp spots, etc. where termites may be likely to target. Product Features: Multi-purpose termite control boxes for multiple uses. Reusable tough ABS plastic control box traps will last you years and years. Generous supply of specially prepared termite timber bait. Clear indicator viewing window for ease of monitoring. Innovative box stacking system allows you to apply the killer bait without scaring termites out of an affected trap. Ant proof design prevents normal ants colonising the box. The killer bait uses the active ingredient IGR chemical chlorfluazuron at the rate of 1% per kg of pure cellulose - completely harmless to humans and animals.
sale
Stealthy 360 Degree Ultrasonic Pest Repeller - Envirobug
Stealthy 360 Degree Ultrasonic Pest Repeller from $55.00 $79.99
EnviroBug is proud to introduce our hassle-free, highly effective and contactless rodent repeller.  Superior to rodent traps and poisons, our device safely repels mice, rats and other pests in the home using state-of-the-art ultrasonic sound waves that only small pests can hear. After all, the best solution to pest problems is to prevent them in the first place! Mice, rats and other vermin are attracted to homes and sheds as they offer a dry and warm environment with easy access to food and water and plenty of nesting material. Prevent pests before they set up house and avoid the horror (and smell) of having them die in hard to get to places like in walls, behind furniture, fridges and stoves.  Features: Silent operation Up to 370 square metre effective range Operation light indicator Test switch Low power cost power usage 12-month full replacement warranty Completely safe for cats & dogs
sale
Mighty Plug-in Ultrasonic Pest Repeller - Envirobug
Mighty Plug-in Ultrasonic Pest Repeller from $29.00 $89.00
Plug and Go - No Poisons! A low cost, hassle-free, highly effective and contactless means of repelling vermin from areas you want keep vermin free.  Safely repels mice, rats and other pests in the home using state-of-the-art ultrasonic sound waves that only small pests can hear. The best solution to pest problems is to prevent them in the first place! Mice, rats and other vermin are attracted to homes and sheds as they offer the ideal environment with dry, warm, easy access to food and water, plus plenty of nesting material. Prevent pests before they set up house and avoid the horror of having them die in hard to get to places like in walls, behind furniture, fridges and stoves. Avoid using poisons, rat and mouse traps or electronic traps to kill pests. No offensive or embarrassing smell of rotting rodent bodies that can last for weeks.  Simply plug in the EnviroBug Ultrasonic Pest Repeller into your wall socket and it begins to emit high electronic frequencies, inaudible to the human ear. It is highly irritating to vermin and stops them from settling in – but guaranteed not to bother your pets. How do they work? The Ultrasonic Pest Repeller is highly effective against rats, mice, and other pests by producing an ultrasonic signal above the audible range of the human ear. It irritates rodents and other pests, making it uncomfortable for them to remain in the protected area. The repellers operate off a standard 240V Australian power socket.  The repeller can cover up to 120 square metres in an open unobstructed area (we recommend installing more than one in larger rooms, or if the range of signal is impeded by large objects. Where should I use them?The clearer the area is of solid objects, the further the ultrasonic frequencies will penetrate. Vermin prefer anywhere food sources are available. Kitchens and pantries are critical places to install the repellers, followed by storage or box rooms, sheds, garages and other places that provide ideal nesting materials and places to make a home for themselves. Features: Completely safe for cats & dogs Silent operation Works by continuously transmitting a powerful range of ultrasonic sound waves that drives away pests Non-toxic and harmless to humans and pets, an alternative to toxic chemicals and dangerous traps Just plug in the socket, easy and convenient for use 80-120 square metre effective range Operation light indicator (doubles as a night light) Low power cost power usage, suitable for long-term operation. Does not interfere with the operation of radio, television or other electronic equipment. Safe, environmentally-friendly, effective protection to help eliminate common household pests 12-month full replacement warranty While these repellers are designed specifically to repel mice, rats and other rodents, customers have also had success keeping away a range of other small creatures including bugs, ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes and spiders. Please note: it's normal for pest activity to increase slightly after installation, as they are disturbed and looking for somewhere else to live. They will shortly go away! They are safe for use around cats and dogs and generally the frequency will not affect them at all.

Designed for Australian Conditions

Eco-friendly

No poisons

12 month warranty

30 Day

satisfaction guarantee

Afterpay American Express Apple Pay Bitcoin Google Pay Shop Pay Visa PayPal Mastercard