Snakes possess a highly developed sense of smell, which plays a significant role in their ability to locate potential food sources. Understanding how these reptiles detect their surroundings offers valuable insight into protecting poultry. This advanced sensory capability enables snakes to effectively track and find prey, even those well-hidden.
How Snakes Sense Their World
Snakes primarily rely on chemoreception, a sense of smell and taste, to navigate their environment and find food. Their forked tongue flicks out to collect chemical particles from the air and ground. These particles are delivered to the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ) in the roof of their mouth. This organ analyzes the chemical information, providing the snake with a detailed chemical map of its surroundings. While some snakes, particularly pit vipers, can detect heat and many possess vision, chemical cues are primary for most species when locating prey or following a scent trail.
The Role of Scent in Snake Predation
The sophisticated chemosensory system of snakes effectively detects chickens and their eggs. Snakes pick up chemical cues like the scent of feathers, droppings, and general odors from a coop environment. These compounds create a distinct chemical trail guiding snakes toward their target. Rodents, attracted to spilled feed and water, also draw snakes to coops as a primary food source, potentially leading them to eggs or chicks.
Eggs emit specific chemical signals that are particularly attractive to egg-eating snakes. Freshly laid eggs release volatile organic compounds detectable by a snake’s vomeronasal organ, leading them to nests. While a chicken may not have a strong human-detectable odor, the cumulative chemical presence of a flock and its habitat provides a compelling attractant for snakes. This allows snakes to efficiently locate hidden food sources within a coop.
Protecting Your Flock from Snakes
Protecting a chicken flock involves preventative measures that interfere with their ability to detect and access prey. Securing the coop with fine mesh hardware cloth is a primary defense. Use 1/4 inch hardware cloth, as anything larger allows snakes to squeeze through. This material must cover all openings, including windows, vents, and any gaps in doors.
To prevent snakes from burrowing, hardware cloth should be buried 6 to 18 inches deep around the coop perimeter. Bending the buried portion outward at a 45-degree or 90-degree angle, creating an “L” shape, further deters digging. Eliminating attractants is crucial; promptly cleaning up spilled feed and managing standing water sources can reduce rodent populations, thereby removing a major draw for snakes. Clearing away tall grass, weeds, woodpiles, and debris around the coop removes hiding spots for snakes. Regularly collecting eggs minimizes the primary food incentive for egg-eating snakes.