Guess what I found in the coop?

[hollyk]

Last week I went out to the coop to shut the door- and to my surprise there sat an oppossum!
The first time in 10 years for me to see one on our property. But not the last, we relocated him only to find another one the next night. My husband was going to kill him. He instructed me to lay the net down so he could smash him. I had my doubts that my husband was still that quick, but I followed orders. Well, my husband's next remark was "Wow, those things are fast!" He can't help it he was raised in the city. Anyway, we caught 2 in there the next evening and one was terminated on sight and the other managed to get away. I wasn't too worried, I thought they only ate eggs. However, my son got a book from the library that has a picture of a oppossum eating a chicken.....
Have any of you had problems with oppossums?
By the way, the one who narrowly escaped has not returned. I have started closing the door earlier. If the door is shut, nothing gets in.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Yes. Many problems.

 

[Country Heart]

Thank goodness for chicken wire

 

[havi]

Quote:
Oppossums can tear right through chicken wire.

You'll need to get something stronger like welded mesh wire.

 

[toredano]

Chickenwire wont keep them out..Its designed ot keep chickens in and not predators out.
Hardware cloth is best ,since it has small openings and they little grubby fingers wont get thru them.

If you relocate them they will be back or you just get new ones that move in.Plus in alot of states it is ilegal to do so.

best to just get rid of them now instead of wondering if they will come back.. and they will.
And the raccoons, snakes, hawkes, owls, coyotes,weasles, wolfs, bears, ect all will come .. eventually too..lol

 

[redstars]

Best not to Relocate! A one time shot of vitamin L ( lead ) works best and it's guaranteed.

 

[Namble]

^Nice avatar pic! ^

 

[rufus]

Quote:
Relocate to the oven with some sweet potatoes. Hmmmm!!

Rufus

 

[MissJenny]

Now that the possums know your coop is there (they have their own little possum network) they will be after your birdies with a crafty determination like you have never seen.

Beware the interior of the coop. One of their tricks is to hide inside the coop before you lock in your girls for the night and then they just go nuts killing everything they can get their nasty little paws on.

As others have said, they can tear up chickenwire fairly handily. If haven't already invested in 1/2" hardware cloth this would be a good time to take it into consideration.

The chief reason you haven't previously seen them is that they are nocturnal -- and they don't want to be seen. And yes, they are fast.
And mean.

Jenny

 

[DTRM30]

I used chain link dog kennel panels - and wrapped the bottom foot or so with 4' chicken wire to keep chicken heads in where they belong and burried the rest along the ground to keep diggers out. I also used heavy guage wire fencing and covered the entire top of the pen to keep anything from climbing over (raccoons, oppossums, whatever) - and to keep hawks out. I have a hawk that sits in the tree and watches - and even has the nerve to consider snatching a chicken when I'm out in the yard with them. So far so good - no illegal entry into the pen or coop. They do get locked in every night though.