Fighting with oposums

[PhilSanchez]

Caught on opossum in a havaheart trap. Took it off a couple of miles now there is another that got in the henhouse, ate one of my nine week old babies. I have been working for two days to opossum proof every little nook and cranny that he could possibly get into including fencing in the roof of their outside scratch and play area. Now locking them in at sunset, no visitors now for two nights.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Building that Ft. Knox coop and run is something that just has to happen, or things only get worse over time. Please don't trap critters and move them elsewhere!!! It's illegal almost everywhere, because of disease transmission, and it doesn't do any favors to the trapped animal. Either trap and shoot, or don't trap. Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

Welcome!  Building that Ft. Knox coop and run is something that just has to happen, or things only get worse over time.  Please don't trap critters and move them elsewhere!!!  It's illegal almost everywhere, because of disease transmission, and it doesn't do any favors to the trapped animal. Either trap and shoot, or don't trap.  Mary 

I agree with Mary. If you're not going to kill it, don't trap it. You probably caught the same one twice.

 

[PhilSanchez]

Not the same one twice I assure you, if PETA heard of me killing a opossum they would try to put me in jail.

 

[Country76]

I dont agree with any of yah all just bring the small chics indoors. opposums will not go after a larger chickens they are great at controling pest spiders snakes mice ratts etc.

 

[7heaven]

I've heard of possums going for larger chickens, especially the big ones. It wouldn't surprise me at all, given that they are opportunists and will definitely kill and eat something larger that they have the chance to. Trapping (and killing) raccoons did nothing for me -- new ones just showed up within a day. I recommend making a strong, safe coop and don't bother with trapping.

Also, definitely make the coop safe from other critters as well. We had a Mink get in one of our coops through a tiny hole and kill all the chickens.

 

[PhilSanchez]

Thank you, I think that I have as varmit proof as i can make it. I have a game camera set up to see if he can even get inside the chain link fence. These hens seem to want to sleep outside. When it gets dark I have to run them in the hen house so that I can lock them up. Plenty of roosts in there perhaps it is just the breed.

 

[PhilSanchez]

Oppossum has already killed four 2 year old australorp hens, before I was able to get the hen house hopefully now opossum proof.

 

[bobbi-j]

Not the same one twice I assure you, if PETA heard of me killing a opossum they would try to put me in jail.

People Eating Tasty Animals? Nah, they'd be proud of you and share their recipes for 'possum stew!

If you mean the other group that has those letters in their name, how would they know? In most states, it's perfectly legal to kill nuisance animals, as long as it's done quickly and humanely. They could probably have a case if you tortured the thing to death.

I dont agree with any of yah all just bring the small chics indoors. opposums will not go after a larger chickens they are great at controling pest spiders snakes mice ratts etc.

They do go after larger chickens, as well as eat eggs. I'll deal with the spiders, snakes, mice and rats without their help, thank you. One other thing to consider is if you have horses. Oppossums carry a virus that can make your horses very, very sick.

"More than 50 percent of all horses in the United States may have been exposed to the organism that causes EPM. The causative organism is a protozoal parasite called Sarcocystis neurona. The disease is not transmitted from horse to horse. Rather, the protozoa are spread by the definitive host, the opossum, which acquires the organism from cats, raccoons, skunks and armadillos and possibly even from harbor seals and sea otters. The infective stage of the organism (the sporocysts) is passed in the opossum's feces. The horse comes into contact with the infective sporocysts while grazing or eating contaminated feed or drinking water.
Once ingested, the sporocysts migrate from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream and cross the blood/brain barrier. There they begin to attack the horse's central nervous system. The onset of the disease may be slow or sudden. If left undiagnosed and untreated, EPM can cause devastating and lasting neurological damage." - American Association of Equine Practitioners.

 

[Ole rooster]

If taking care of you chicken is catching a a possum and hauling it of on somebody else, sell you chickens and do something else. Kind hearts don't save you chickens. If something is after you chicken to kill it, you kill the predator. Other wise you are wasting you time. Prepare yourself to loose birds.