grannys gone and done it

[campingshaws]

Yes, it was alive when I locked up, about 9 last night. I had to move it to check for eggs. It was the only one sleeping on the floor of the coop; all the others were up on roosts. I opened the run about 8 this morning.

You can see the fencing here:

It's that wire fencing all the way around and on top, with chicken wire around the bottom. The door is 4 ft but only latches at the top. And I've seen both adult and adolescent possums in the past two weeks. Guess it could have nosed in at the bottom of the door and gotten the chick. I found it in the run, not the coop.

Still have the carcass, but no traps. So y'all think that's too extensive for just chicken damage?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i do . Plus it was at night.

 

[campingshaws]

GOT IT. Got that sorry son of a gun.

I heard a loud thud from the coop about half an hour ago, and lots of squawking. I look out the window and see the chickens bailing out of the coop. Tell DH what's going on, grab the gun and run outside. I check the door to the run and the roo and two hens are there waiting for me. I go to the big "clean out" access door and open it a crack and shine my light in, and there are eyes shining back at me. So I held the door and the flashlight and the gun and took it down with one shot.

Then it took me 30 minutes to work up the nerve to touch it and throw it over the fence.

There was a big clump of sussex feathers on the coop floor. I guess it tried to grab one but was too little. Three hens and three juvies never left the coop, and never stirred from the roost.

When do possum babies leave the mom? I feel like I should be on the lookout for more.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

congrats, I would definitely reset the trap. can you lock the other chickens up in the coop til they are gone ? Good call Watermelon !!

 

[campingshaws]

My coop doesn't have a front door, and I don't have time to fix it. I think if I add a second latch to the door then it will be solid.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

It came in thru the door ?

 

[campingshaws]

That's my only guess. I'll take a picture of it in the morning. I locked them up just 20-30 minutes before the possum got in. I checked the coop really well; there aren't any nest boxes in there right now, so there's really nowhere to hide.

When I went out, the roo and the tomboy hen were both roosting on top of the run. And a sussex hen was roosting in the run. They knew something was up. Glad all I lost was a handful of feathers.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

ya, me too. was it the juvie that got in ?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

didnt realize the time. night all .

 

[prostar]

Night granny!