Help! Opossum in Nesting Box!

[OhZark Biddies]

They like rat bait and are immune to it.
View attachment 1693527

Lol ... she’s gonna make herself a rat bait sundae!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I was just reading about coyotes. Did you know that if it's a male and you kill it, the females automatically go into heat(attracting another male) and end up having a whole litter each? So killing one male can potentially cause up to 20 more being born(if there are 3-4 females left behind). I found it amazing and makes sense that in my area pups are born and heard all year round.

That doesn't sound credible at all.

 

[GirlsMommy18]

I was just reading about coyotes. Did you know that if it's a male and you kill it, the females automatically go into heat(attracting another male) and end up having a whole litter each? So killing one male can potentially cause up to 20 more being born(if there are 3-4 females left behind). I found it amazing and makes sense that in my area pups are born and heard all year round.

It's funny you say that. I've read the same thing about when the alpha female is killed. Supposedly, it makes the other females go into heat.

 

[llombardo]

That doesn't sound credible at all.

I actually originally read male, but it appears it also pertains to an alpha female. It also states that females do most of the hunting, so killing one in the middle of the night when they hunt is a 75% chance a female.

"If you kill the alpha female..there are 4-5 remaining females, you just inspired them to multiply your coyote problem four-fold by killing their Alpha Female.

I can’t offer a soluton to coyote problems, but obviously if you’re having issues with one pack, you don’t want them to experience a sudden population explosion or you’ll end up having issues with several packs. So the indiscriminant killing of coyotes probably explains why they have survived mankind’s encroachments better than other forms of wildlife. They fight back by making tons of little coyotes and those hungry little coyotes go out and eat whatever they can find.

Including your house cats."

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Were you reading a book by Dan Flores by chance?

That doesn't sound credible at all.

I'd asked about the Dan Flores book (Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History) as I think this is often the source of the general idea.... but in recent times many bloggers and such, and even biologist, have quoted some of this slightly out of context.

I'm going from memory, but I think the book described that the persecution of the coyote in the past is part of what led to it's expansion eastward. This expansion was largely due to wolves being removed, which opened up territory and because of the biological mechanisms of being discussed here in this thread... and while I think this was likely true, I'm not sure that the same things is still happening in existing coyote territories very much these days... and this the part that is often a bit misrepresented.

I've removed many coyotes in the past via trapping, and while I can't be certain I removed the alphas, the law of averages would suggest that was the case.... but there was no real noticeable uptick in coyote numbers in the following years. This was likely due to the fact that there were plenty of other coyote packs in the general area... so there were different biological mechanisms at play.

To understand this... there is the idea that coyotes (and wolves) howling at night are doing a sort of census, and that when members of the pack and surrounding packs don't answer back, it signals to the pack biologically speaking that it's time not just to reproduce, but to expand and reproduce.... I suspect there is a lot of urine scent post information, etc. being taken in by the coyotes as well.... but the howling census is something that is easier for us as humans to understand , so it's more often discussed.

So the idea that killing the alpha always causes the coyote population to multiply... is forgetting the part about the "census" of surrounding packs being a factor too.

It's all very interesting in any case... and I might have misstated some of this going off the top of my head... but the Flores book is an interesting read if anyone is interested.

Also possums need a better PR person ... here we are talking 'yotes on a possum thread! (sorry to the OP if we've hijacked a bit)

 

[OhZark Biddies]

... Also, I have seen it wandering around their coop for a couple of weeks, and something seems to be attracting it, does anyone have any tips??

As A_Fowl_Guy mentioned a cage style live trap with some cat food will catch a possum you see hanging around pretty easily. I like some cheap stinky canned cat food for this.

One thing to understand too, is that while possums can kill adult chickens, it's probably not that common, it's really young birds and eggs that are at risk.

 

[cuquitina]

I love opossums, have had them around and love so because they take care of mice better and safer than any bait, they also get rid of snakes, roaches and other pests.
Opossums DON'T carry rabies as some people think, they don't attack you or your pets, they are solitary yes, and territorial, so you will never see more than 1 or 2 around your property unless it's breeding season.
My humble opinion: secure your coop just because if an opossum made it inside so will a cat or other animals that will actually harm your chickens. But let the opossums be, they are a blessing to have around.
We have never called pest control of any kind, never had roaches or mice or snakes.
If opossums are stealing eggs and even rat bait it is probably because there is not much food around. Whenever this happens I just leave some cat food outside for them.

 

[Al Capon]

Opossums DON'T carry rabies as some people think, they don't attack you or your pets, they are solitary yes, and territorial, so you will never see more than 1 or 2 around your property unless it's breeding season.
My humble opinion: secure your coop just because if an opossum made it inside so will a cat or other animals that will actually harm your chickens. But let the opossums be, they are a blessing to have around.

Opossums are the primary carrier of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis. If you have horses, you do not want opossums around.

 

[Trux]

You are the keeper of your chickens, and it is your responsibility to give your flock a secure coop and or run, they depend on you. That said find how and where it got in and take the option away, along with any other suspicious avenues of possible entry. Hardware cloth is your friend in this venture. Being these creatures are nocturnal, get the girls into the run an hour or two before dusk. Possums eat massive amounts of ticks so everyone you kill increases your chances of being bitten by a tick, which increases your chances of getting lyme disease or any one of the other diseases they carry. So take away their entry options and they will look else where

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

You are the keeper of your chickens, and it is your responsibility to give your flock a secure coop and or run, they depend on you. That said find how and where it got in and take the option away, along with any other suspicious avenues of possible entry. Hardware cloth is your friend in this venture. Being these creatures are nocturnal, get the girls into the run an hour or two before dusk. Possums eat massive amounts of ticks so everyone you kill increases your chances of being bitten by a tick, which increases your chances of getting lyme disease or any one of the other diseases they carry. So take away their entry options and they will look else where

Or replace the opossums with guinea fowl of your own.