garter or garden? snake...should I worry?

[new2ducks]

When I pull out weeds to thin the area I had seen a garter snake....very small about a week ago. This morning my husband came home and fed the ducks and saw a pretty big garter snake with a toad in it's mouth. We weren't sure if it would be albe to eat it but we left it alone to see what happened, after about an hour there was foam everywhere and the toad was released and the snake slithered out of the duck area and into my rose bushes on the other side of the fence and the toad hopped off. I raked out all of the straw from the kennel to see if anything was in it and also to air things out. Wiil this snake hurt my ducks? They totally avoided walking by it so they know to at leat leave it alone!

 

[Miss Lydia]

When I pull out weeds to thin the area I had seen a garter snake....very small about a week ago. This morning my husband came home and fed the ducks and saw a pretty big garter snake with a toad in it's mouth. We weren't sure if it would be albe to eat it but we left it alone to see what happened, after about an hour there was foam everywhere and the toad was released and the snake slithered out of the duck area and into my rose bushes on the other side of the fence and the toad hopped off. I raked out all of the straw from the kennel to see if anything was in it and also to air things out. Wiil this snake hurt my ducks? They totally avoided walking by it so they know to at leat leave it alone!

Snakes may eat ducklings and eggs but don't think it would try to eat a large duck. Snakes are good to have around because they will take care of the mice and rat pop that will come to eat the duck feed. As long as they are not poisonious sp I would leave them alone, We have very large Blk snakes here and I see them in the coop from time to time when I do either my dh or I will take them for a walk down the driveway and release them.

 

[new2ducks]

This is the snake and if you look close enough you can see that half the toad is in it's mouth! I am still creeped out by it! At least it wasn't insid the ducks' kennel! Thank you Miss Lydia for your explanation. I'm even jumping at a duck feather that blows by...lol Still working on being a "country girl" One thing I can say about my husband is that he's very sensitive when it comes to living things...he didn't want to hurt the snake, he felt bad cause he figured that snake wasn't going to be able to eat that toad so we just kept going out and checking on it. gotta just love him!

 

[Amiga]

We have garter snakes and others of similar size and habit, and have had no problems. I agree they are helpful to have around. Once, one of my runners found one about a foot long, nabbed it by the tail, flung it up over her back, and ran, with the rest of the runners close behind.

 

[azhenhouse]

We have garter snakes and others of similar size and habit, and have had no problems.  I agree they are helpful to have around.  Once, one of my runners found one about a foot long, nabbed it by the tail, flung it up over her back, and ran, with the rest of the runners close behind.

Amiga, I can only imagine what that must have looked like, LOL! We have garter snakes all over our place, and every spring and early summer we have babies slithering around. I am probably more of a danger to them than they are to any of our poultry. I nearly step on one once a month. They won't move out of my way fast enough. I agree with Miss Lydia, they could get ducklings but not the larger birds.

 

[Amiga]

By the way, I was about three feet from her when she tossed the snake aloft, so I had a ringside seat.

Yow.

 

[new2ducks]

Thank you for your stories! I'm feeling better now. No snake this morning and believe me I'm looking! lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had a big blk snake slithering through our duck yard one day last year, usually they don't move in the open but this one was heading right for the coop, well everyone just stood stalk still and watched it, all but my gander he threw his wings out and ran for his life.

it was a site to behold.

 

[jak2002003]

Garter snakes feed only on fish and amphibians. They will not eat your ducks eggs, or even the ducklings. They are harmless and rather beautiful little snakes. In fact, you ducks might just decide to try to eat him!

 

[new2ducks]

I saw a little baby garter snake slither into the fenced area of the ducks and from time to time I see them just sitting and waiting where it slithered in like maybe they are waiting for another one...so I guess they are eating them as they come in...ewwww...but if it's something they like, I guess it's ok. I just hope it's all digested when the eggs are laid! What a thought...scares me sometimes of what they eat and then I'm eating the eggs!