I just panicked and kicked a possum in the face.

[idreamofsilkies]

Yes it is. Sometimes there are barn cats you can't get even get close to. It was a long time ago, and I don't remember if the dog was vaccinated or not, but they also had sheep and cattle. But the CDC said that all the animals had to go. 

Oh wow. We're the barn cats dropped off at the farm without their knowledge? I can understand if that was the case.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

i cannot BELIEVE you ppl have the heart to SHOOT &/or kill BABY possums!!!

I never kill baby possums, killing their mama is sufficient.

 

[Starfire669]

This thread is old, but I am very glad I read it. I just got into chickens, ducks, and geese, and my area has coons, possum, skunk, snakes, coyotes, stray dogs, and feral cats. I was going through the predators and pests to learn how to prevent common predators and stumbled onto this thread.

My biggest fear of predation was actually from the dogs and cats, as they are numerous, bold, and live nearby. But I often see skunk and possum killed on the highway a mile from my house, and coons are known to live in my area, even if we haven't seen them. The coyotes we can hear at night, but haven't been seen in over 20 years. I think that our high stray dog and feral cat population has been keeping the other predators at bay. But I will be keeping my eyes and ears open for signs of coons, possum, skunk, as I believe these may get brave enough to come after my chickens, ducks and geese. My neighbor and myself are the only chicken keeps in my area, and my flock is much larger than my neighbors. My neighbor has about 10 chickens, I have 26 chickens, 8 geese, and 7 ducks. Already my outside mouser is killing mice and rats moving in after my feed, even though it's kept in bins, the rodents are chewing through the plastic. (I reused some plastic dog food containers for my feed and plastic was a bad idea, but then we didn't have the rats at the time either). We have also seen baby rat snakes, but my mouser and the chickens themselves have been killing the small snakes. I will kill any large snakes I find and patrol around my coops and house nightly after lock up. I have rat traps and poison in the car shop/garage where the feed is stored.

Anyway, raccoons also carry diseases. My sister lived on the New York, Massachusetts border 16 years ago. Her dogs and cats had the shots, she had a Rottie, a Shar Pei, and some cats. One night a coon killed one of her cats and was in turn killed by the Shar Pei. The coon had rabies. The surviving dogs and cats, having rabies shots were quarantined and given another rabies shot. My sister, her 3 and 5 year old children, and her husband had to endure the 7 shots in the stomach rabies treatment.

Because of this, and knowing what other diseases coons, skunk, and possum can carry, I have a kill on sight plan for any that get in my yard. I will do everything in my power not have a chicken massacre, and to prevent my own children, 6 dogs, and 4 inside cats, 1 outside cat from having to endure rabies exposure. It does not matter to me if it is a cute baby. If it comes to my property it dies, I will not relocate a potentially sick or rabid animal to be someone else's problem. I have too much to lose to allow anything else. My children and animals are more important to me than saving a possibly sick animals life at the expense of my families health.