Dealing with Opossums and chickens

[All4Eggz]

Yesterday night I saw a possum making his way toward the coop. Luckily I stopped him by flashing my flashlight at him and he retreated.
Today, I saw him in the run, next to the coop opening, and he began to play dead. All the chickens are safe and sound.

He is playing dead, not moving, and not reacting to loud noises or anything like that.

How did I get him out of the run so that both he and I are safe?
He won’t budge.

How do I prevent opossums from coming back? I know they generally do not harm chickens, but I do not want to risk it.


When I first saw him, he had a bone in his mouth, probably from the chickens’ leftovers. He was going for the meat and bone left in the run, so luckily that distracted him a little bit so he didn’t get into the coop at all.

And advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

@aart @azygous @U_Stormcrow

 

[DonyaQuick]

If the chickens are safe in the coop with sturdy wood, hardware cloth, and good latches between them an the possum, then my inclination would be to remove any food and water he might be after and leave everything alone for a half hour or so and check again later to see if it's still there - and then try to block up any hole it used to get in and out so it doesn't come back later. How is your run built and do you know how it got in?

EDIT: I should have added that the remove smelly temptations and wait method is what my family always used whenever a possum would end up somewhere it didn't belong like in the garage, barn, etc. We never had to grab one and they always just left.

 

[MARANMAN2011]

Its either him or your birds, You choose

 

[DonyaQuick]

The pics must not have loaded for me the first time; my internet is pretty slow. Is it just fenced without a roof or mesh top? Unless I interpreted the pics completely wrong, short of keeping a dog out there I don't think there's any easy way to keep a possum from coming back if it thinks it can get food (whether or not there actually is any later, it may still check given it found the bone already).

 

[All4Eggz]

If the chickens are safe in the coop with sturdy wood, hardware cloth, and good latches between them an the possum, then my inclination would be to remove any food and water he might be after and leave everything alone for a half hour or so and check again later to see if it's still there - and then try to block up any hole it used to get in and out so it doesn't come back later. How is your run built and do you know how it got in?

EDIT: I should have added that the remove smelly temptations and wait method is what my family always used whenever a possum would end up somewhere it didn't belong like in the garage, barn, etc. We never had to grab one and they always just left.

He got in the run because I had not closed the chickens up for the night yet.. I was in the process of doing so when I spotted him.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[All4Eggz]

The pics must not have loaded for me the first time; my internet is pretty slow. Is it just fenced without a roof or mesh top? Unless I interpreted the pics completely wrong, short of keeping a dog out there I don't think there's any easy way to keep a possum from coming back if it thinks it can get food (whether or not there actually is any later, it may still check given it found the bone already).

I’m not worried about how he got in— the doors were wide open so he could’ve just walked in. I’m worried about what he could’ve done to the flock, if anything, and how to prevent him from coming back.

 

[CSolis]

I hate to say it, but the best thing you can do is feed him lead! Possums have killed 3 of my chickens and when I find them, they go the way of the bullet. You are very mistaken about them not normally hurting chickens. It's not pretty when the do it either.

 

[All4Eggz]

You are very mistaken about them not normally hurting chickens. It's not pretty when the do it either.

That was according to research. The bulk of people, even on BYC (from what I understand) that have experienced possums breaking in to the coop, have realized they do not usually go for the adult chickens, but rather the chicks, eggs, and leftover feed.

I hate to say it, but the best thing you can do is feed him lead! Possums have killed 3 of my chickens and when I find them, they go the way of the bullet. You are very mistaken about them not normally hurting chickens. It's not pretty when the do it either.

Is it legal to kill wildlife like that? I’ve attempted to kill a hawk that hurt its wings while going for our chooks, and someone on BYC notified me saying it’s illegal to do so.

If it’s legal, I’d gladly do so. Rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks for your response!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

A bucket and a shovel to push him in.
After that, it's up to you.

 

[CSolis]

I don't know about Mass, but here in AL we coon and possum hunt all the time. Raptors are another matter as some are on the endangered list. Check with local Fish and Wildlife folks.