There are many reasons why goats make great pets or great additions to a farm.
From their adventurous and friendly nature to their ability to clear some of the most challenging plant brushes, they are great animals to have around.
Although they have a lot of benefits, I was recently asked if another benefit of goats is keeping snakes away.
Snakes can be a pesky and scary thing to have on your farm or in your yard.
The question had me wondering if goats could be helpful in scaring snakes off.
Chickens and pigs are known to catch and kill snakes and donkeys have been known to stomp on snakes.
This may be enough to keep snakes away, but unfortunately, goats do not seem to have the same effect.
And while it’s good to know that pigs and chickens could help trap or kill a snake, there are other ways to ensure snakes stay away.
This article will outline more about how to keep snakes away and whether snakes pose a threat to goats.
Can snake bites hurt goats?
A snake bite can be potentially deadly to a goat.
Upon being bitten, the location of the bite will likely swell up and the goat will have a hard time swallowing and its tongue may protrude from its mouth.
If the snake is poisonous, it could lead to respiratory failure, but studies have shown it may require more than one bite.
Goats reportedly handle poison better than similar animals like sheep, but it’s still to get your goat to a veterinarian as soon as possible, regardless of whether the snake appeared venomous or not.
It’s also recommended you ice the site of the bite.
The most common bites occur on the head, face, and muzzle area of a goat where it has been grazing.
Bites in that area are far more serious than bites on the legs. If treated quickly, goats will recover after a bite.
Be prepared for them to swell up for more than a day and provide some ice and plenty of cool water nearby.
What animals keep snakes away?
Animals like a fox, eagle, owl, bobcat, or mongoose are considered predators of snakes and will hunt them for food.
As a result, these animals may be more effective at keeping snakes away or scaring snakes off.
Animals that can be helpful at keeping snakes away include: chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cats.
These animals have been known to stomp on or kill snakes when they encounter them, but they are not predators of snakes and may not be as effective at keeping snakes away.
What are other ways to keep snakes away?
If you don’t have natural snake predators around to scare off snakes there are some things you can do to your yard or farm to deter snakes from making a home on your property.
Make sure your yard is clear of debris.
The more plants and other debris in your yard the more places for snakes to live or hide.
Piles of logs, branches, tall grass, or junk are all places that a snake likes to live.
Those places are also where other animals a snake might eat would live.
Make sure you don’t have pests that snakes might want to eat – mice or similar rodents will attract snakes looking for a meal.
There are some scents you can use that snakes are said to dislike.
The scent of sulfur, garlic, and onion, and ammonia are all said to repel snakes.
You can sprinkle sulfur around your yard, put a rag soaked in ammonia in an open bag and leave it out, or create a liquid spray of boiled garlic and onion to repel snakes.
Snake fencing is another option.
The fencing can be attached to existing structures like a fence or gate.
The wire mesh aims to keep especially dangerous snakes like rattlesnakes out, but may not work for all types of snakes.
What is the best snake repellent?
There are several at-home snake repellents – like those listed above – but they don’t always work.
And experts say they definitely don’t work for rattlesnakes.
The best way to keep snakes away is to make sure your yard is clear of debris and any food snakes might want to eat.
Heavy foot traffic is also something snakes dislike – the busier your yard the less likely snakes are to make a home there.
Does vinegar keep snakes away?
Vinegar is said to be useful at keeping snakes away from bodies of water like a pool.
Pour or spray white vinegar around your yard or pool.
Snakes absorb material through their skin and will not want to slither over an area that has been doused with vinegar.
Does lime keep snakes away?
The answer is mixed, some say that mixing lime and hot pepper or peppermint and pouring the mixture around your property will keep snakes away.
Snakes don’t like the smell and the mixture is itchy to their skin.
However, others say this is not an effective way to repel snakes.
Experts still stress that the best way to keep snakes away is to keep your yard clean and ensure you don’t have any rodent problems.
If you still struggle with snakes, you can always call pest control to help find and remove snakes from your yard.
This article explained that goats do not keep snakes away and outlined what to do if your goat is bitten by a snake.
It also included details about the best animals to help keep snakes away.
To ensure your yard stays free of snakes, it’s recommended you keep it clear of brush or other debris that snakes could make a home in.
While there are many at-home snake repellents, they should not be considered absolute solutions.
The most certain way to keep snakes away is to ensure you don’t have any mice or rodents living on your property.