HELP! Possum in coop

[Wolf-Kim]

Rooster-Red that last possum is a monster! Must be eating your catfood on a regular basis!

We've only dealt with Opossums on a rare basis and never around the chickens. Just cornered in the backyard by the dogs or hiding under the car.

I remember finding a baby possum left by his momma(hiding under the car) and trying to find a wildlife rehabber to come and get him. Turns out even though small, once they have their teeth, that's about the time their momma starts leaving them anyway. We went inside and left if hiding in the bush, checked a few hours later and wasn't a trace to be found.

I don't have issues with possums, as long as they don't seem a threat to the chickens. darn cute fox on the other hand...

-Kim

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Rooster Red,
I am super impressed by your horrifying pictures! I had no idea that opossum had heads that were SO HUGE and TOOTHY!!!! that said, I really, really think they're cute, and if I had one around my chickens I would trap him, and give him catfood until he was fat and happy and then set him free in a safe place.

 

[Poohbear]

Possums raid bird nest and eat eggs,birds, chickens ducks, chicks and ALSO eat dead and decaying animals intestines! Their teeth are LETHAL POISON! If you are bitten by a possum you will have to take rabies shots. Folks, a possum is not a cuddly, stuffed teddy bear. It is a killing machine and will put you out of chickens QUICK! Be careful when confronting a possum. They are faster than you and WILL ATTACK! While it is true Coyotes do what they do, possums do what they do, I ALSO do what I do and protect my chickens from predators by killing them quickly and efficently to prevent them from killing my beautiful chickens. No, we CAN'T just all get along. Predators don't last long chasing my chicks. If you want one to pet, then have it STUFFED!

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Huh???

 

[rooster-red]

I wouldn't endorse anyone just going out and trying to catch one, these are wild animals after all.

I think that adopting a shoot everything that moves attitude is more of a waste of time, energy and life than predator proofing a coop to withstand mutiple predator species is.

It is true that if you kill an animal that animal will not give you trouble again, but what predator will show up in its place next time?

Preventive measures just make a whole lot more sense to me, IMHO.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

I've said it before, please don't relocate!!! I hate it when folks drop off there pests and unwanted junk out here. I have enuff to put up with, with bobcats, a den of coyotes right over the hill, hawks and a mountain lion I caint touch cuz they'll throw me in prison, coons, skunks, and my own personal possums everywhere without everybody dumpin more on my land. Somebody just yesterday dumped a box with a pair of rabbits on my doorstep, why they think I need more critters just cuz I live out in the country is beyond me. At least rabbits are tasty though LOL! But really, I think I speak for most folks out here when I say PLEASE take care of your own problem, dont make it ours, we've got enuff to do without someone else's critters and pests to deal with.

 

[ivan3]

Poohbear wrote:
Their teeth are LETHAL POISON!

Dacjohns wrote:
Huh???

Maybe like a Comodo Dragon: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=268179

Probably less dangerous than the bite of a human.

That said, an aunt in GA had the crops of two roosting hens chewed open by a `little' opossum. We had a small one (no more than twice the size of a big lab rat ~500g arrive just after the coop was opened at dawn, climb the six foot fence, and tear out half the roo's tail feathers before it passed on to poss heaven.

If one is spinning around in front of the headlights, gone all tharn, I'll get out and boot it into the ditch so it can go on its way. If it is here, well, vermin is as vermin does and premptive trapping and retirement decreases the overall frequency of predation (have a heavy pred load).

Good bib. of ongoing opossum research: http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/opossum.htm#Introduction​

 

[rufus]

Google "cooking opossum." There are lots of options. I think with sweet potatoes sounds best. If you are going to kill it, use it.

Rufus

 

[claud]

I have opposums in my coop on occassion ever since I've had chickens(about 10 yrs). I never had one go after a bird - they seem to like the eggs better. I have a marble egg in the nests that has teeth marks in it - I bet that possum was surprised.
They are more scary-looking than anything else. I think they're actually cute in an ugly sort of way.
I think they have potential to go after chickens but not as likely as them getting after the feed or eggs.
I live-trap them.

 

[Debi214]

Opossums are not as bad as some of you make out - no worse than a big old rat hanging out. They want food and would rather not eat a "live meal"
too doggone much work! I have one that I have been feeding. It gets the scraps that my chickens aren't allowed to have. They are immune to rabies and snake poisen and they eat the rotten table scraps and carrion. They will only go after live food if they are REALLY HUNGRY which is rare.