Bizarre Possum Episode

This spring, I had the craziest thing happen. Has this (or something similar) happened to anyone else?
I was shutting my birds into the coop and once again reveling that I'd been able to kick the ducks out full time on the pond. At this time, I had six ducks: Bellatrix, Narcissa, Alice, Uncas, Tasslehoff, and Phoebe. All girls. We thought Uncas was a drake, but we were sorely dissapointed.
I walked over to the pond to count the ducks, and I found that I was missing Alice. I didn't think anything of it, she was probably laying an egg somewhere.
Next morning, I walked into the coop to let everyone out, and there was a mass of feathers behind a bucket where the ducks sometimes lay. Well, someone was molting or something. Maybe one of the newer chickens decided it was a great spot to lay. I grabbed my egg basket and stepped forward and what I saw in the bucket made me jump out of my skin. My family made sure the possum didn't come back. But poor Alice was in a heap behind the bucket, hardly touched, but split open!
Has anyone else had a possum sleep in there coop? Because I think that's just freaky.
I had a possum go into my coop and kill my girl where she slept. Found her dead the next day. Possum will come in at night to take eggs. And also a known preditor of chickens as well. They can fit into a 3inch by 3 inch space to get in. Sorry for your loss. I was heart broken.
 
I had a possum go into my coop and kill my girl where she slept. Found her dead the next day. Possum will come in at night to take eggs. And also a known preditor of chickens as well. They can fit into a 3inch by 3 inch space to get in. Sorry for your loss. I was heart broken.
I'm so sorry! I think this is the first time a possum has killed one of mine, but I've had a possum in the chicken pen. I've heard they'll rip a chicken through a mesh fence, but I never really believed it. Not that long after the duck incident, a possum paid the pen a visit again. We had a problem hen out there for the night, and when I came by in the morning, she was quite ripped.
 
I'm so sorry! I think this is the first time a possum has killed one of mine, but I've had a possum in the chicken pen. I've heard they'll rip a chicken through a mesh fence, but I never really believed it. Not that long after the duck incident, a possum paid the pen a visit again. We had a problem hen out there for the night, and when I came by in the morning, she was quite ripped.
Racoons are rhe ones who will pull a chicken through fencing and shred. The possum ate on my chickens breast and crop area but left the rest in tack. Perhaps you have racoon maybe? Set a live trap with cat food wet and see what ya get. I have gotten at least three possums and one racoon and neighbors house cat.
 
Racoons are rhe ones who will pull a chicken through fencing and shred. The possum ate on my chickens breast and crop area but left the rest in tack. Perhaps you have racoon maybe? Set a live trap with cat food wet and see what ya get. I have gotten at least three possums and one racoon and neighbors house cat.
If a possum is in your pen it is a matter of time before it will kill a hen
 
Racoons are rhe ones who will pull a chicken through fencing and shred. The possum ate on my chickens breast and crop area but left the rest in tack. Perhaps you have racoon maybe? Set a live trap with cat food wet and see what ya get. I have gotten at least three possums and one racoon and neighbors house cat.
Maybe. I'm not entirely sure. We haven't had issues with the wildlife in a couple of months, except a mother fox who came through. It's spring. It's normal. Thanks for all the info!
 
Hi,

Thanks for your recomendations, but my coop's not the issue. The door was open long after the possum decided to take a nap, and I shut the door when it was still light outside. I think it's bizarre that the possum would meander in during the day, and only kill one.
Maybe that's all he wanted. Now if that had been a raccoon, it would have been a whole different story. I have seen them wipe out a whole coop in just one night.
 
Maybe that's all he wanted. Now if that had been a raccoon, it would have been a whole different story. I have seen them wipe out a whole coop in just one night.
Yes possums are usually nocturnal hunters due to better eye site at night. But in my research I have read that they can hunt in day if sick or if nursing young ones in the spring. Needing food to sustain nursing their young. Killing one bird is for a meal. Weasels kill for sport and will take out an entire flock in one night.
 
Yes possums are usually nocturnal hunters due to better eye site at night. But in my research I have read that they can hunt in day if sick or if nursing young ones in the spring. Needing food to sustain nursing their young. Killing one bird is for a meal. Weasels kill for sport and will take out an entire flock in one night.
Never seen a weasel. Hope I never will. Long live the flock!
 

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