Rattlesnakes?

Some simple steps:

Obviously, keep the rodent pop. down. However your decide to do that.

Yes, both King snakes and Bull snakes do eat Rattlesnakes. Could be wise to find a pet store that might have them or if you one on your property dont kill it ( they look similar to Rattlesnakes and may even shake their tails, but no rattles). So do larger birds of prey.

An easy way to keep them out of enclosed areas like tack or feed rooms is to put moth balls in corners or holes where they can possibly get in.

If you do find where they are nesting (such as in a wall or a hole in your barn) you can use gasoline (like a small amount to squirt up in there with a turkey baster or such) to flush them out and ward them from coming back to that area (FYI rattlesnakes give live birth, they do not lay eggs and the younger they are the more poisoness). If you see a rattler in your area and have never seen one before, that means they were looking for a new place to nest.

And of course, yes keep a shovel handy.

Just a few home remedies that I know of growing up where rattlesnakes are pretty common

Snakes die instantly. Of course it requires a shot gun...... Draw back you ruin a bunch of hay and your barn. Haha. The best thing to do is keep after them keep choppin' their heads off and then try to keep the mice down. Getting rid of the rodents around is the only real sure fire way to keep them away from your barn. Just last year we killed a 6' Cotton Mouth, real scary 'cuz they don't really warn you that they are going to strike. It is odd(not un common) that a rattle snake would pick a place with so much action. Normaly they don't like being around people. But I would say getting rid of the mice first would be the best way to keep the snakes away.

Scarry thought for ya. A basic rule about rattle snakes, for every one you see. There are 3 that you don't. So be on the watch out for them.

Edit-John I see your a level 3 snake head chopper off-er, too. A leve 4 can kill them through pure thought. Ha

I know that I am virtually no help, but can I just say OMG!!! I am so sorry. I am getting chills just reading this! I am fortunate enough to live in an area that is virtually free of rattlers. I have never, ever seen one in the wild. However, if you have a farm in a rattler area, I can only imagine that it would be nearly impossible to completely control them, and most likely you will encounter one again. Here is a link from wikihow on how to rattler proof http://www.wikihow.com/Rattlesnake-Proof-a-Backyar... It seems that the best you can do is to be extra careful about keeping the horse and cat food under wraps and do your best to eliminate your rodent population. Unfortunately, we both know what sloppy eaters horses are--they always drop feed...and of course, mice follow. So, I hate to say that I believe it impossible to fully rattle proof. However, I hope that those wiki tips help. Other than "snake-fencing" your property or having pet king snakes and mongooses... If I were you, I would consult other local stables, ranches, and farms in your area to see what steps they take/have taken that have helped. Good luck with that. Gosh, that is freaky (sorry, I know that doesn't help, but snakes give me the eeby-geebies)!

Here in Florida we have snake repellent that you can get at any place that sells pesticides. You might want to check a farm supply store. I forget what the stuff is actually called, so I'm sorry. It definitely has worked for Pygmy Rattlers, so I'm assuming it will work with other types of snakes as well. Do a google search on snake repellent. I carry a revolver with snake shot in it when I go out to the stable. Fortunately, I haven't come across a poisonous snake yet.

We have more of a problem here with cotton mouths and water moccasins and the occasionally Eastern rattler. My technique is handed down from my Grandmother, who was a master of dispatching them with a garden hoe. Heads first. She even had a recipe for them, but I never was that daring. Tastes like chicken, I'm told.

Due to suburban sprawl, we rarely have them anymore. Keeping your rodent population down does help a lot. If you eliminate their food source, they will go elsewhere in search of a meal.

We have barn cats that help with mice to a point, but won't go near a rat. The cats will bring in garter snakes from time to time and proudly leave them in the barn aisle for all to admire. I know they too smart (or perhaps just have a high level of self preservation) to ever tackle a rattler.

Gosh I would freak out about that and make sure none of the horses go near it or have the rattlesnake go near a horse. If all the horses were in thier stalls or out in the pasture at the time, theyre fine. Be careful! I do live in a state that has rattle snakes but never had seen one.

I suppose the easiest way to control the snakes would be to remove their food source. Get very proactive about vermin control, and if you get rid of the mice and other small vermin, the snakes should move on to "greener pastures" in search of food. Now, for myself....while I wouldn't want a rattlesnake around, I do have a rather large resident black rat snake in my barn. I encourage them to hang out in order to help keep the vermin down....and the ratties are harmless. Nonvenomous, and rather easy going. "Mama Big Snake" is so accustomed to people she'll not even bother to hide if she's cruising when we come in. My hubby detests snakes, but he's gotten used enough to her, that so long as he can spot her, he isn't overly bothered by her.

we used to keep "bull snakes"or also known as "gopher snakes"up close to or in the barn to keep mice and other rodents away and also have been know to keep rattlers away untill i got an older horse who was pasture savy and stomped him flatter than a pancake and since then i havent had a problem with any type of snakes because he taught all the proceding horses.my dogs will bring in parts of snakes every once in a while but they are pretty squished so i just throw them in the dumpster.i am starting to get a ground squirrel problem so i may have to get another one.

also spade shovels work good, as well as a 410 shotgun.

.

Well i have been bitten 3 times by rattlers (2 Diamondbacks and 1 Southern Pacific) and i think they should all die!!! Once i went to grab one thinking it was a stick in the grass UGH i almost wet my pants. Nothing you can do other than get rid of their food to get rid of them. My mother is the snake killer here, shot one between my sister legs.

Now i was a firefighter for a long time, been on many veggie fires, going through brush and not once seen one...I'm at home the first reaching in a wood pile, it was about 12 inches long but put a lot of venom in me, the other two i was minding my own business and i have been bit in both legs. Well once i grabbed my little dog and took the bite for him. So be careful those things are nasty and it makes you really sick.

Umm... We have a bunch of King snakes at our barn and have only seen one or two rattlers. The king snakes are known for killing the poisonous ones and even help keep the mouse population down. Maybe you could bring in one or two and see if that helps.