Snake šŸ Proofing Hutch / Cage ?

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Rabbits by Accident

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I have a doe ready to Kindle any moment. I lost track of time. I am trying to snake proof a cage because we have a 5 ft long corn snake in the yard. I am covering the cage with half inch hardware cloth. Has anyone got any better ideas? The cage is a wire dog kennel. I'm not sure how I'm going to secure the door area without the snake being able to just sneak under the edge since it overlaps. Help and ideas ASAP thank you very much
 
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Rabbits by Accident

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Well thank you so much for all your great suggestions!! I have disregarded all of them and done it my way. (yes I'm aware there were NO suggestions - what the heck is wrong with you people??)

So without further ado - Ta-dah - Here is my finished 'delivery suite' wrapped with 1/2" hardware cloth on all sides, top & bottom. Door protection overlaps cage by 3"

IMG_20220618_122958129.jpg
I plan to keep this cage wrapped like this as long as I have rabbits outside. I will use it for delivery and the first couple weeks, then move the family to new digs when they are old enough to escape snakes. Not sure what age that will have to be, or what to do if I have multiple deliveries. I will cross that šŸŒ‰ if I need to.
 

MaggieJ

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Well thank you so much for all your great suggestions!! I have disregarded all of them and done it my way. (yes I'm aware there were NO suggestions - what the heck is wrong with you people??)
I'm sorry you feel that there is something wrong with us. Most of us have limited time to answer questions. In your case, wrapping the cage with hardware cloth -- which I suggested in a similar thread -- seemed to be adequate. And it was, wasn't it?
 

hotzcatz

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Usually for "ASAP" ideas, searching the older posts may have much more immediate results. Forums are, by design, a much slower method of information dispersal than texting.

The best thing about Forums is that they can get into much more detail and retain the information in a much more accessible manner than via most social media platforms such as FB, TikTok or texting. (Which is why the 'search' works so well.) However, as you noticed, the response time on forums is much slower.

Can snakes climb? (I'm in Hawaii, the only snake we have here looks like an earthworm that walks funny). If they can't climb, putting the hutch up on posts - especially metal posts - may help. We do that to mongoose proof nests for the hens. As you have done, we put smaller diameter wire around the nesting hutches, although that's to rat proof them since rats will eat nestlings.

Do snakes eat eggs? If you were to put an egg in another dog kennel, if the snake went in and ate the egg, would it be able to slither out again with an egg in it's stomach? Maybe a goose egg would be large enough to keep the snake from slithering back out again? That's assuming you want to catch the snake, is it beneficial to have one in the yard? Maybe they keep rats away?
 

Rabbits by Accident

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Usually for "ASAP" ideas, searching the older posts may have much more immediate results. Forums are, by design, a much slower method of information dispersal than texting.

The best thing about Forums is that they can get into much more detail and retain the information in a much more accessible manner than via most social media platforms such as FB, TikTok or texting. (Which is why the 'search' works so well.) However, as you noticed, the response time on forums is much slower.

Can snakes climb? (I'm in Hawaii, the only snake we have here looks like an earthworm that walks funny). If they can't climb, putting the hutch up on posts - especially metal posts - may help. We do that to mongoose proof nests for the hens. As you have done, we put smaller diameter wire around the nesting hutches, although that's to rat proof them since rats will eat nestlings.

Do snakes eat eggs? If you were to put an egg in another dog kennel, if the snake went in and ate the egg, would it be able to slither out again with an egg in it's stomach? Maybe a goose egg would be large enough to keep the snake from slithering back out again? That's assuming you want to catch the snake, is it beneficial to have one in the yard? Maybe they keep rats away?
Wow! You're on a roll! You have written a bunch of GREAT posts tonight :D

First note, I was tongue-in-cheek about something being wrong with you people!!! Sheesh. Of course there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with ANY of you in ANY way. I couldn't imagine anyone taking that comment seriously :D

I did search. Found nothing. I don't support FB, TT, TW or any of those non-free speech platforms, so not an option for me.

Not a problem, since I can figure out how to do it. Sometimes someone else comes up with a great idea I didn't think of, so I always ask.

Now, about the snake - We did catch him once, shook him up and yelled at him. Sometimes that will make him realize the egg buffet in the chicken house is not his territory. At that time I didn't even think of the soon to be arriving baby rabbits, so we let him go on the other side of the yard. Now we haven't been able to catch him again. If we do, we will take him on a long car ride. (well, with the price of gas, it may be a short car ride)

And yes, snakes can climb. This snake is about 5' long, he just ate the baby birds out of a nest on the eave of a porch by climbing up the pole about 7' high. He is nonpoisonous and a good snake to have around. He keeps away poisonous snakes and eats rodents but he has returned to the henhouse and is eating all our eggs. I would like to get the eggs, and I don't want to worry about my baby rabbits! So he needs to go. Hopefully, there is a smaller snake around here to replace him. Usually there is more than one. We are surrounded by cornfields, so surrounded by multitudes of mice & large rats also. I'd hate to get rid of the snake and have to rat-proof LOL. I haven't had a problem up to now.

I love your idea about the egg in a cage. I wonder if that would work. I have heard that snakes will vomit up whatever keeps them trapped, so it would be interesting to see if that is true. I'd have to sacrifice another egg LOL

Thanks for all the ideas, and I've enjoyed all your other posts tonight - GREAT ideas on gardening, etc.
 

Lewis

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I did a quick search of "snake"and found a few snake proofing posts. Looks like you did what was suggested!
 

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