Snakes a danger to rabbits?

[Lil-patch-of-heaven]

Ok, I officially hate snakes. I've lost too many animals to them over the years, and here I was just telling dh that king snakes are GOOD snakes to have around.

I guess my silkies are too small. I just got home earlier to find that the chickens had indeed put themselves in the coop, but were joined by a king snake. I think the coop is snake-proof but the pophole was open. Anyway it was wrapped around a silkie, who was already dead. That's one snake we did kill.

My concern is this ... I have rabbits (Californians and New Zealand) nearby. Their cages are 1/2" wire, but a snake could potentially squeeze through the feeder slot. I'm now wondering if a tiny weasel could too. I use the 1-1/2 pound hopper feeders with open top.

Would snakes pose a danger to adult rabbits? I'm thinking not, but then again I'm surprised it could catch the silkie or would even try, since I don't think he could have eaten her.

And now I'm also wondering -- do you think anything could get in through those feeders? I plan to add a top -- IF I can get them to feed properly, seeing as how the goats messed up the cages while they were in the barn (briefly!) and now they don't stand exactly upright and don't really let the geed flow as they should.

Thanks for any input!!!

 

[Bunnylady]

I have had experience with snakes that managed to squeeze into cages, stuff themselves with baby bunnies, and then be unable to get out the way they got in. I have lost whole litters as old as 4 wks. that way, which is why my does live in cages built entirely of 1 x 1/2 wire when they have litters.

Even if the snake can't get into the cage, he is an indirect threat to rabbits, because rabbits are terrified of snakes. I have seen rabbits panic when a 15 inch garter snake crawled through the rabbitry, that snake was certainly no threat! I have found previously healthy rabbits dead in their cages, huddled with their heads in corners, I have assumed that they broke their own necks trying to flee some unknown terror (most likely a snake). I have found baby bunnies trampled and scratched by their mothers' claws; these were calm, experienced does. I had to conclude that something (once again, I suspect a snake) frightened these does so much, they uncharacteristically jumped in and out of the nest box, injuring and killing thier kits in their panic.

Would snakes pose a danger to adult rabbits? I'm thinking not, but then again I'm surprised it could catch the silkie or would even try, since I don't think he could have eaten her.

I knew a man that raised all manner of birds. He told me he occasionally found a dove dead in the pen, with the feathers on the head damp and ruffled. His conclusion was that a snake had caught the bird, killed it, and tried to swallow it, but had been unable to get past the dove's broad shoulders. I once rescued a half-grown Polish roo from the coils of a rat snake that couldn't possibly have swallowed it, but I guess the snake didn't know that. I really thought the chicken was dead, at first, but then he took a breath, and recovered, and grew up to be a real pain in the patootie! That's chicken gratitude for ya!

 

[Lil-patch-of-heaven]

Thanks for the info. I know rabbits can be harmed by simple panic. These are some amazingly steady (to me) rabbits. They are young, from a show home, and in the short time I've owned them they have seen my cats (not thrilled), my dogs (totally unafraid), my llama eating from their feeders (again no reaction) and unfortunately had my goats try to remove their feeders and smash the corners of some of their cages -- again with surprisingly little reaction when I came in on the end of the confusion and discovered what happened. Silly me -- I thought high tables would protect them. These goats would climb trees though if there is food involved -- especially alfalfa.

Then again I'm not that experienced at reading bunny body language.

I've had the rabbits in 3 locations since I got them less than 2 weeks ago. I really don't want to move them again and the truth is that I don't think I CAN give them a place that is BOTH snake-proof AND cool enough. Sigh. Unless I put them in my living room.

Well ...

I had wanted immediately to know that they won't be eaten at least, but kits will soon be a concern.

I do know that when I had geese before I stopped having snakes (and they had been a HUGE problem up till then, even inside the house). I can't say for sure it was the geese that ended the snake problem but I've always heard that they worked. Right now my geese are still in the brooder. Their nightime pen is right next to the rabbits' cages but I will probably put them on pasture during the day. The rabbits are in the poultry yard up on stands and when I later allow the chickens to free-range they are probably not going to leave grazing for the geese since half the yard is dense shade anyway.

Even if I enclose the rabbits at night with a tarp or something to block their view of predators they may get overheated and snakes could still climb the legs of the stands. I wonder if snake-baffles exist? The cages are pretty tight except for the feeder slot and the feeders are wired in so they can't be easily dislodged.

Not sure what else to do at this point.

Thanks again. I do wish snakes had the sense not to kill animals they couldn't eat anyway. That was one of my favorite chickens -- one of my only pair of buff silkies.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

We went out to the barn to check on our doe that was giving birth. As I peer through the top of the cage into the nest box, something moved 8 inches away from my face in my peripheal. I squealed and jumped back, my husband about tripped over himself as he jumped back as well and then as our eyes focused, there was a fricken 6 foot Black Rat snake juvenile sitting on TOP of the rabbit cage I had just been peering into.

I guess that would expain why the experienced doe had kits on wire and the metal food dish was in the nest on top of the other kits. I think only 2 kits survived. I don't think the snake was after the buns(although he could have smelled the blood of the birth), but rather after the chicken eggs I set on the cage a couple hours before for collection.

While I think most snakes would be unable to successfully eat an adult rabbit, I think they are fully capable of killing one.

This was a snake we removed from the front yard a few days before and set free since it was a 'helpful' species. It did not get a second chance.