California-Southern

[IamRainey]

They're everywhere. But is it a problem? We so rarely see them because they're shy and nocturnal. They're scavengers not predators so they're not a danger to your chickens. Meanwhile, they're cleaning up a lot of insects and pests in the garden.

This might be reassuring.

 

[lissalischicks]

We have about 4 to 5 opposums that visit every night. Last night ran into one in my yard at 850pm. I would prefer not to have them in my yard. I have tried all natural and non trapping methods but more of them are becoming by.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm having an opposum issue. What do you do or have done to get rid of them. All our food is in containers or inside a locked coop and nothing is left out.
If I trap what do I do with the opposum. Everytime I google what to do with the opposum I just get loads of pest removal advertisement

Depending on what services your nearest animal shelter offers, sometimes they will lend/rent out traps and then you can turn the caged opossum over to them to handle properly. I'm not certain if opossums are legal to kill so check with your nearest animal control center. We had a coyote in our fenced blockwall yard at 5:45 a.m. standing outside our locked chicken coop -- my DH called the police dept who transferred our call to animal control services and they were out in our neighborhood by 6 a.m.talking with my DH to see what direction of rooftops the coyote was traversing and they CAUGHT it that same morning by 6:30! Animal control was getting several calls the whole week about that wandering coyote but it's finally gone -- what animal control did with it we don't know but so glad they finally caught it!

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

Hi all. I ve been so bored with this quarantine. Just hanging with my my gals WHO WANT TO FREE RANGE! can't wait till it's done! I haven't been here in awhile and was missing u all, lol. Have a happy day!

 

[Skalabs]

Totally agree. I'm down to two hens and would like more, but I'll wait and see what is going on with the quarantine.

I was dog sitting and did not realize two chickens were on the pool side. (They would take a daily stroll on the other side while the other two were content with the chicken yard.) One dog made a bee line to the trespassing hens and the others followed. One hen must have died from fright ...she was totally limp with no external injuries. The other squawked and ran. A month earlier I found a hen floating in the pool. Lost two within 6 weeks of each other.

Curious, have any others lost an adult chicken to drowning?

 

[Sylvester017]

Totally agree. I'm down to two hens and would like more, but I'll wait and see what is going on with the quarantine.

I was dog sitting and did not realize two chickens were on the pool side. (They would take a daily stroll on the other side while the other two were content with the chicken yard.) One dog made a bee line to the trespassing hens and the others followed. One hen must have died from fright ...she was totally limp with no external injuries. The other squawked and ran. A month earlier I found a hen floating in the pool. Lost two within 6 weeks of each other.

Curious, have any others lost an adult chicken to drowning?

So sorry you lost your hens! Chickens like humans all have different health issues with some being very hardy and others with delicate constitutions -- who knows why some get frightened to death, while others have the mental acuity to run to safety, why some die early from reproductive issues while others live long long lives? I also wanted to get a couple more hens since losing one to a bleeding ovarian tumor and another lost to heatstroke in 115 F heat! But my chicken vet said DO NOT BRING ANY NEW BIRDS onto our property until the quarantine is over! Sigh!!!

 

[Skalabs]

Any ideas on the breed of these two?

 

[Skalabs]

Could they be Silver Birchen Bantam Cochins?

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Could they be Silver Birchen Bantam Cochins?

Not cochins, cochins are FLUFFY!

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Can you weigh them? How much do they weigh.