Losing lots of chickens to some unknown predator

[mossyroo]

lol... Unfortunately I don't have a kid under the age of 30. Maybe I should borrow someone else's?

Grandchildren work too. Had a 19 yo grandson hit his head on the wire 3 times while working along the fence before he figured out what was going on.

 

[Ameraucanas]

Would you pay them?

 

[the poppster]

I just came back from the barn. There were three opossums in there. I don't know if I should cry or scream.


On a happier note, I counted 32 chickens this evening. I still don't see my Buckeye. I looked at all 32 pretty closely, and she's not one of them.

I really feel sorry for you and your slowly dwindling flock. It might just be me...but if I went into my barn and found one or two opossum hanging out waiting for a chicken dinner....I'm afraid I'd see red! Pull on the thickest pair of leather gloves, a heavy jacket and good stomping boots, Get an ax..or a stout bat...maybe a pole with a sharp knife duct taped to the end and go on a killing spree....they don't enter a live trap, not because they are so smart about it. Why should they if there's plenty of food available outside it...Maybe rehome the remaining flock members to a place where they are safe from night and day predators...at least till you can afford to give them a secure home. I am perplexed by your continued requests for advice on how to protect your flock....only to have that advice sidelined for one reason or another....as you keep all informed of your daily losses...I'm sorry...I just don't understand.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I really feel sorry for you and your slowly dwindling flock. It might just be me...but if I went into my barn and found one or two opossum hanging out waiting for a chicken dinner....I'm afraid I'd see red! Pull on the thickest pair of leather gloves, a heavy jacket and good stomping boots, Get an ax..or a stout bat...maybe a pole with a sharp knife duct taped to the end and go on a killing spree....they don't enter a live trap, not because they are so smart about it. Why should they if there's plenty of food available outside it...Maybe rehome the remaining flock members to a place where they are safe from night and day predators...at least till you can afford to give them a secure home. I am perplexed by your continued requests for advice on how to protect your flock....only to have that advice sidelined for one reason or another....as you keep all informed of your daily losses...I'm sorry...I just don't understand.

You can catch a truck load of possums using nothing more than a stout fly swatter. Belabor the possum around its head and shoulders with the fly swatter. This will cause the possum to scull up or faint. You can then in all safety pick up the possum and have your way with it.

 

[Ameraucanas]

That sounds like a good idea.

 

[BBQJOE]

You can catch a truck load of possums using nothing more than a stout fly swatter. Belabor the possum around its head and shoulders with the fly swatter. This will cause the possum to scull up or faint. You can then in all safety pick up the possum and have your way with it.

This is all very interesting. I'm glad I don't appear to have these critters around.
So, they'll pass out if you whack, or scare them with a fly swatter?

 

[hayley3]

I just don't think possums are that big of a danger. I've had chickens 25 years. Possums roll over on their back when they are afraid and play possum. I've saved more of them from my dogs than anything. They sound vicious but in my experience they really aren't. But yeah if they can get to a sleeping bird, I"m sure they would take one. They really aren't very smart.

 

[centrarchid]

Opossums are easy to beat but they can be bad news for broody hens and any birds not roosting up. Even very young opossums can be a nusance as they are harder to exclude if you have gaps large enough to allow a rat.

 

[lynnehd]

I really feel sorry for you and your slowly dwindling flock. It might just be me...but if I went into my barn and found one or two opossum hanging out waiting for a chicken dinner....I'm afraid I'd see red! Pull on the thickest pair of leather gloves, a heavy jacket and good stomping boots, Get an ax..or a stout bat...maybe a pole with a sharp knife duct taped to the end and go on a killing spree....they don't enter a live trap, not because they are so smart about it. Why should they if there's plenty of food available outside it...Maybe rehome the remaining flock members to a place where they are safe from night and day predators...at least till you can afford to give them a secure home. I am perplexed by your continued requests for advice on how to protect your flock....only to have that advice sidelined for one reason or another....as you keep all informed of your daily losses...I'm sorry...I just don't understand.

I sure agree with this. I 'd put my energy into setting up a secure night time area in the barn, with 1/2" hardware mesh, etc. Lock them up every night. At least, this time of year, that would keep them safe in the evening and overnight. Then perhaps your LGD could cover the daytime.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

This is all very interesting. I'm glad I don't appear to have these critters around.
So, they'll pass out if you whack, or scare them with a fly swatter?

Or smack them with your hand, an old tee shirt, or even stamp your feet hard at then.


https://www.google.com/webhp?source...1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=definition playing possum
play possum definition. To pretend to be dead, a trick used by opossums to defend themselves from predators: “Everyone thought the old con man had died, but it turned out he was just playing possum.” By extension, it also means “to pretend to be asleep, or to lie low”: “Come on, Harry, open your door.
Play possum | Define Play possum at Dictionary.com

dictionary.reference.com/browse/play--possum