Does anyone know how to get rid of possums

[a_djs1234]

Hey guys I came on here to see if you guys could give me tips on getting rid of possums I just now went to check up on my chickens when I find a possum eyeing them and this hasn’t been the 1st time these animals have killed my chickens before I use to have turkeys and they killed them all my coop is very secured and some how they get their way in any tips on how to get rid of them to prevent any disasters please and thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hey guys I came on here to see if you guys could give me tips on getting rid of possums I just now went to check up on my chickens when I find a possum eyeing them and this hasn’t been the 1st time these animals have killed my chickens before I use to have turkeys and they killed them all my coop is very secured and some how they get their way in any tips on how to get rid of them to prevent any disasters please and thank you!

Figure out how they are getting in and make necessary repairs/fortifications to keep them out.

The only other way to get rid of a Possum is to trap and dispatch (check your local and state laws about this), but likely another will eventually find its way to you.

 

[nuthatched]

Coop security is your top priority, if a possum can get in, so can coons.

 

[a_djs1234]

Figure out how they are getting in and make necessary repairs/fortifications to keep them out.

The only other way to get rid of a Possum is to trap and dispatch (check your local and state laws about this), but likely another will eventually find its way to you.

I kinda did my research and supposedly having light in the coop is good or having a light sensor do you think this could help or would it attract them more

 

[a_djs1234]

Coop security is your top priority, if a possum can get in, so can coons.

Yes im going to fix any Holes their is but this possum was small and made its way through this small crack the coop had but I fixed right away I can put pictures tomorrow if you’d like I am going to put more chicken wire around it

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I kinda did my research and supposedly having light in the coop is good or having a light sensor do you think this could help or would it attract them more

They get used to a light, motion lights, etc.

I have motion lights along my property and some near my coop/runs - foxes, coyotes, cats, possums, raccoons - all them ignore the lighting.

Look carefully for the entry point the possums are using and fix it. If you can't find it, setup a camera or two to see how they are getting in.

Really the best defense against any predator is a secured coop/run.

 

[a_djs1234]

They get used to a light, motion lights, etc.

I have motion lights along my property and some near my coop/runs - foxes, coyotes, cats, possums, raccoons - all them ignore the lighting.

Look carefully for the entry point the possums are using and fix it. If you can't find it, setup a camera or two to see how they are getting in.

Really the best defense against any predator is a secured coop/run.

Okay I think I’m going to get some lights for them and thankfully I did see where the possum came from and got a little bit of chicken wire and fixed it but I will recheck the coop tomorrow morning and fix any small cracks or anything I’ll update you tomorrow with some pictures of my coop for any tips you might have thank you have a good night

 

[McChooky]

16 gauge 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth is the standard for covering vents,windows and openings in a coop or run. You don't want to use chicken wire. Raccoons can reach their paws inside chicken wire mesh and pull a chickens head,leg or wing off without ever getting inside. They're very destructive and determined when they find a weak coop

 

[Sally PB]

Fish and/or peanut butter are good baits in a trap for possums. I've had good luck with sardines.

 

[Folly's place]

The solution is to fix your unsafe coop, all hardware cloth over openings, no openings larger then 1/2" anywhere!
Most of us have learned the hard way that there are no shortcuts to making our coops safe, thanks to dead chickens from so many predators. The birds are helpless at night, and their coop needs to be 'Ft. Knox'.
Also, feeding any thing outside attracts unwelcome night time visitors, who just might show up during the day also.
When we fixed our coop and roofed run to be safe as possible, and stopped having food outside, trapping became a rare event.
Mary