Do possums eat the chickens or the eggs or both?

[buddy66]

I have been having a few eggs eaten in the nest. Tonight about 11pm I heard the hens raising all kind of noise. I got up and went to investigate. At first i didnt see anything so turn to leave when another hen come fly out of the coup. I looked inside an opossum was in one of the nests. I had my gun but instead just pick up a 4x4 and worked on his head awhile. I guess that where my eggs have been going.

I have been letting the hens out during the day but locking them in the fence at nights when they went to roost. the past couple of nights they would not go back in to roost. Maybe the opossum had been going in and they were scared to go back?????? would they know not to go back inside?

 

[drumstick diva]

buddy, I really enjoyed your post. Yes, I think the chickens are afraid the possum could be in there again.

 

[patohunter]

I have had opossums in the coop a couple of times both ended badly for the opossums and for my hens. In one case, the hen a really friendly but not too bright buff orphington was litterally being eaten alive. The opossum had eaten half of her back side off and was working on her insides. I had to dispatch her and the opossum met the business end of a .410 shotgun up close and personal. If you have opossums then youre best to get rid of them.

 

[buddy66]

Yes, i think that is what happening. I have been seeing eggs broken and i had thought one of the chickens was eating them. This has been going on about 6 months but i bought oyster shells and added to feed and it seem to stop. (I guess Mr opossum went on vacation at that time ) Well, this one opossum is on permanent vacation now, 2 feet under. Now every night i searching the yard to find where they are roosting and put them in the pen. I wonder if they might just be as safe letting them just stay out.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I lock my birds up every night. Once there was a small possum in with them (hiding from the dogs most likely) I chased it out. The birds were not bothered by it.
My point is that I chased it out and it left a couple of days later after I put it in a cat carrier and escorted it outside the fence.. I didn't have any lost eggs or hens. You can't kill all the possums in the world. I believe it trying to put my birds in a safe enclosure at night.
Have had more problems with black snakes. If I can, I'll relocate them. They have a place in nature--especially killing copper heads.

 

[enola]

I have had possoms get eggs and kill chicks and adult birds. They don't leave they property to go back home.....

 

[WalnutHill]

I have also had possums kill pullets and eat eggs. Pullets are stupid, but possums aren't much brighter.

 

[feather13]

We have had opossums and raccoons kill chickens and five of our chickens have also died of respiratory disease. Unfortunately, it's more common than not that some of your chickens will not live long, happy and healthy lives. Locking chickens up at night in coops that are predator-proof is essential and since we've done this, we haven't lost any chickens. Before you kill opossums and other predators, I would double check with your state and local laws regarding pest removal. For those of you living in California, section 597(a) of the California Penal Code makes it illegal to intentionally and maliciously kill an animal, wild or domesticated. Yet there is also an exception "if such animal is dangerous to life, limb or property." So if the law is ambiguous in your state or area, you might want to err on the side of caution and either make your coop more predator-proof or ask your local SPCA for a live capture trap.

 

[Attila the Hen]

My recent study of possum behavior suggests they move around a lot and will spend several days in a place and move on.

The one I had was odd. It stayed longer because it was injured and small. I had to go out several nights to rescue it from the dogs. It just sat there while they barked at it.
Possums do not carry rabies as their internal body heat is too high to incubate the disease.

 

[redsix]

Both!