Brushtail Possum

[Poultry man123]

I have a brush tail possum living in the vents above my Peacock and Chicken Aviaries, its not causing any problems currently (other than eating a plant I have growing on the wire) I am wondering if it could cause problems? I know it has been in there for at least a year and not affecting my birds, but I do have a duck incubating eggs in the cage, I am wondering if I could maybe put some garlic on the vents to deter it from living there if its a problem

 

[PimsGarden]

I know opossums will eat chickens, strange it hasn't bothered them in that long. I'd say I'd be worried about parasites it would bring, but I'm not sure what opossums even carry. I know they are known for eating ticks, but idk what they are known to carry if anything. Curious to see what people say about this one...

 

[Seaslug]

This is a possum, not an opossum. Different continents. Original poster, are you in Oz or Nz? In my limited understanding, the possum is treated differently depending on where you are living due to it being native to New Zealand and exotic to Australia.

 

[Poultry man123]

Australia, its an Brushtail Possum

 

[Seaslug]

Sorry, they are native to Australia, exotic to New Zealand. I read that they eat mostly vegetation, fruit, flowers, seeds, and insects but also eats eggs and small vertebrates. It appears that they may be protected in some areas. And since they are fairly well adapted to human habitation, if this one has been around for over a year and has not caused any trouble, perhaps just making sure that the run and coop is secure would be the wisest thing to do? Let us know what you decide.

 

[Poultry man123]

Sorry, they are native to Australia, exotic to New Zealand. I read that they eat mostly vegetation, fruit, flowers, seeds, and insects but also eats eggs and small vertebrates. It appears that they may be protected in some areas. And since they are fairly well adapted to human habitation, if this one has been around for over a year and has not caused any trouble, perhaps just making sure that the run and coop is secure would be the wisest thing to do? Let us know what you decide.

I think I might start putting Garlic Paste up near the vents, because on google it says they don't like the smell of garlic, my main concern is about it being there while I have a duck hatching ducklings in there and causing problems.

 

[McChooky]

The possum and opossum are both marsupials.The possum eats poisonous plants that can kill many other animals and the opossum can be bitten by venomous snakes and survive.Their diet is totally different.They also carry their babies about the same amount of time(1 carries them 13 days and the other carries them 16

 

[Nym]

I doubt they are a danger to your chickens.

There are plenty of Australian tales of possums living in roof cavities or thundering along the back garden fence, and it’s the common brushtail possum that’s almost always responsible for visiting these suburban backyards to say hello. Well-adapted to urban life, the brushtail possum is the most widely distributed and commonly encountered of all Australian marsupials.


Averaging the same size as a domestic cat, the brushtail possum varies in colour and size, depending on where they live. Queensland brushtails are copper-coloured and measure in on the smaller side, whereas their Tasmanian relatives are black or grey and have adapted to the cooler climate by increasing their size and the density of their coat. The majority of brushtail possums are grey with a black band across the snout, a bushy tail, and pointy ears.

The main threats to the common brushtail possum include dingoes, pythons, foxes and domestic and feral cats. Despite its abundance in numbers and being seen as a pest in some suburban areas, the brushtail possum is a protected species within Australia.

Common name	Common brushtail possum
Scientific name	Trichosurus vulpecula
Type	Marsupial
Diet	Leaves, shoots and flowers
Average lifespan	Between 10-12 years
Size	55cm in size and between 1.5-4kgs in weight

Fact File: Common brushtail possum

 

[Penpal]

You can put smell protection around the eggs rather than trying to make the possum move on. Garlic, peppermint, whatever you have.