Dead possum & chicks....

[kitkatnoah]

I just purchased 2 Americauna chicks, I had them in their brooding cage in my garage, when I woke up at midnight hearing the chicks peep in terror. I grabbed my gun & raced out into the garage & found a small possum, it had decapitated both my chicks through the cage even with the blanket covering the cage!

The 2 chicks had imprinted on my me & we were hand rearing them before they were to be placed in the coop with our older hens. I quickly shot & killed the possum but am left with a devastating mess to clean up. How do I dispose of the possum (we live in a residential neighborhood) and the chicks? Will other wildlife dig up the carcasses? I plan to free range my pullets in a couple of weeks & don't want them to dig up the carcasses. This possum had obviously came in through the pet door we have for our 2 cats (who don't like chickens & leave them alone). We've have our fair share of possums, skunks & coyotes, but this is the 1st attack we've had and next time we have chicks, I'll put them in our spare room inside the house. Any advise on how to properly dispose of the carcasses will be greatly appreciated!

 

[itsalladream]

Properly? Maybe not, but how about the garbage can?

 

[Dora'smom]

Can't you just double or triple bag it and put it in the garbage for pick-up? That would seem to be the easiest way to handle it if you live in a residential area.

 

[kitkatnoah]

I can put them in a trash bag & put by the curb, but trash pick up is in several days & we're expected to hit the 100 degree mark...I can only imagine the smell....ewww That may be the option to do. Can't call animal control, since I shot the possum, they only dispose of them if they have to eliminate them. Oh, & walked into the garage & there's ANOTHER possum....sheesh!

 

[woodmort]

If you double bag and tie it real tight it should be too bad after a few days in 100 degree heat. Just bury it on the bottom and keep the lid on. Our garbage is picked up every other week--tomorrow as a matter of fact--and I've got the remains of a hawk killed chicken in the pail that happen since the last pickup. Isn't too bad but it is double bagged.

 

[Lbrad7]

Garbage disposal.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yuck!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You need to change the cat door. There are ones that require the cat to wear a special tag that will allow the door to open, no tag, door won't open.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
Agreed!

I've read someone elses post... how they had to kill a racoon that got after their chickens, and left it on the side of the road for the road crew to clean up. (Apparently there was lots of roadkill in their town.) If you have a similar service...would it be a bad thing to just put it out there? Also, it's okay to throw your dead chicks into the garbage (same applies to the opossum). We buried some of our first chicks...but after a while realized we didn't want pet cemetery on our property, so any casualties end up in a grocery bag or two, in the garbage can.

Sorry for your losses. We keep our chicks in the basement, but started out with brooding them in our den. Nothing wrong with having them inside the house.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Bag up the bodies and put them in the freezer, on garbage day DO NOT forget the frozen garbage that needs to go out.

Sorry for your loss - hard way to wake up.