Anybody ever feel bad when getting rid of a predator?

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

This should be a popular post....

I caught a 'possum in a trap near our back chicken pen, ok easy enough grab the .22 pistol for a coup de grace, that done saw the 'possum's stomach moving. there were 4 baby 'possums in the pouch.

Yes I feel bad.

Steve in NC

 

[b.hromada]

Down here where I live, the Wildlife Care Center tells people to look in a possum's pouch if you see one dead on the street, because this is the time they are breeding. If you've got a wildlife center someplace near you, you may bring them to the center, they will raise them for you, and release them elsewhere. I know, most people on here HATE them, but I don't. Actually, we've got one, that we have raised from a baby, and believe me, she is still very much wild. She will get out of her pen at night, and has NEVER bothered my birds at all, even with eggs in the nest box. I don't think they are ugly either, its just the tail thats kind of gross, thats all. Let us know if you find a place to take the little ones.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Steve, you have a couple options available.

One that I would do is take the babies to a wildlife rehabber, simply state the mother was struck by a car or attacked by dogs. I just have trouble with killing young animals when they aren't suffering. I can hardly do it to chicks that have some crippling illness or injury.

The other is to dispose of the young. They will grow to be adult possums one day and may follow in their mother's footsteps, maybe not.

If we were closer I'd be tempted to come pick them up. I've heard they make interesting pets. I know, I know, ya gotta have a permit to rehab and whatnot. I was simply stating a temptation and not an idea.

-Kim

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I haven't yet

 

[jvls1942]

No matter that those 4 babies would grow up to be predators..

I would feel bad also..

Ain't we humans the craziest ??

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I trapped one not long ago with 6 little babies in her pouch, so I decided NOT to kill her.

I carried her about a mile from the house and released her on the edge of a big swamp.

I trapped her again 4 days later, back at the house, and this time did what I should have the first time.

I dont LIKE killing anything I'm not going to eat, but I've found it's the best way to protect my own animals

I lost 3 pigeons and a pair of eggs last week, and STILL feel bad about killing the 4 ft Rat Snake I found just outside the coop.

 

[JupiterFarmer]

Could you perhaps find a rehabber for the babies? You didn't know man

 

[ivan3]

I'd be tempted to air freight them to rooster-red... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=37010&p=5 our North American Marsupial Maven.

As our only poss attack took place shortly after the coop was opened at dawn (260-300gm lab-rat sized model), scaled the six ft. fence and took off most of the roo's tail feathers before being pithed, I'd guess one's predator load at one's location might well be the operant variable.

Boar opossum attacked our outside cat/one died under the house (removing that liquifying `putridity' was unpleasant), one died on the roof with its head stuck between the chimney cover and metal grate. If we lived closer to St. Louis I'd start a delivery route into the north part of town where raccoon and opossum meat is still sold out of private homes (signs in the yard advertise said victuals).

Whenever I feel bad, I go out back and enjoy the live chooks and turks YMMV.

 

[Fancypants4569]

Hi, Im a 40 yr old mom of 3 children and I hate taking the life out of anything.My family and I have just moved to a home with a couple acres and I grew up on a farm, so I was so excited about being able to have chickens and rabbits and such again. Since we have moved here something had gotten 3 of our chickens. We didnt know what it was? My 13 yr old daughters were up late one night and heard all the chickens start screaming, so they run out and look in the coop. One twin daughter turns around and starts running to the house to get mom and dad, yelling its a skunk. The other twin pokes her head into the coop and see's the skunk climbing into the nest box and is about to get her 4-H project bantum cochen hen who is setting on 5 eggs. What does she do ???? She reaches in the door and grabs it by the tail and tosses it across the coop. Im not kidding, no lie... After everything was said and done we laughed our butts off that she was so brave about it, but on the not so funny part we warned all 3 of our kids that it could have turned out badly and they are not ever to do that again, to take a big stick if they have to...no one got sprayed. This has all happened within the last couple of weeks...We have since Fort Knoxed the coop, bought a live trap and have drowned 3 skunks so far, momma and 2 of her babys I think... The only reason I told the whole story is because even though we have gone through this whole ordeal, it doesnt get any easier to throw that cage into the canal to drowned them. It breaks my heart, but I know I have to do it or they will continue to go after my flock and I cant afford that. Ive put to much money into them, at least thats what I keep telling myself hoping it might make it easier next time. Sorry to keep rattling on but this is an outlet for me to talk about it. I just had to drowned another one. Looks like 2 tylenol pm's tonight so I dont have bad dreams

 

[citrusdreams]

I usually have someone else do it for me because it upsets me so much. But yes, when I do, I feel very badly. But you have to protect your animals, and usually having one of them hurt will motivate you to do what you have to do.

Though if a natural predator is a risk to one of my dogs, I don't feel bad at all. If it's someone's dog that is the risk, I do kind of feel bad, but I'm very protective of my own. They come first.