HELP! Possum in coop

[2manyRoosters]

I totally agree with KristinH. KILL IT! Last time I checked, possums were not on the endangered species list. I had the same problems with a racoon or two in the past. I tried the nice guy approach, the havahart trap, shoo-ing it away, adding extra defenses, ETC. the problem continued...until I shot it, skinned it, and nailed the hide to the side of the coop. Racoon activity dropped to 0% since then(Jun 2006). That seemed like a ringing endorsement for the .22LR to me.

 

[Debi214]

Quote:
Raccoons are demons like weasels - they are nothing at all like opossums and you can't compare the two. Not apples to apples. Sorry.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

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Well, just as a heads up, opossums are greasy, greasy, greasy!!! Used to eat 'em back when I was a kid stayin with my cuzins and we was all dirt poor, used to eat anything and everything we could get. The taste of 'em aint all that bad really, if ya can get past all the grease.

 

[hypnochyck]

I live in California and maybe our opposums are small compared to the monsters with poison teeth you southerners are describing, but I've volunteered for wildlife rescue and we rehabilitate ALL injured and abandoned animals no matter what and what I do know about opposums is that like any wild animal, they will bite if cornered, but also "play possum" by literally passing out when threatened, they are scavengers preferring carion, eggs, chicken feed, cat food, garbage leftovers, lizards, insects (love snails, so great in the garden), but will hunt when necessary like any scavenger. People are so harsh on the scavengers, but if we didn't have them, we'd be knee deep in road kill!! I've NEVER seen a rabies case come into the rehab center, (usually bats and skunks), and while it's not likely, it's not impossible.

I know I'm just a granola-eatin' Californian (although my husband is a hunter), but all wildlife is necessary to this planet and deserve to do what they do in the food chain. I'd capture and relocate.

Wanna know what else I know about opposums? No joke, the boys have two.....well, let's keep this family oriented, shall we?
Not a joke. I was just as shocked.

 

[dacjohns]

They don't have two but it is forked, more correctly termed bifid.

 

[kees]

I'm in favor of the long couple-a-mile-ride. They need food too and aren't known as rabies vectors. If they stay in your coop, you should know that a an opossum can, and will eat an animal in its' entirety.

Suzy

 

[dave_Cash69]

kill it!

good tastin opossum

 

[kycklingar!]

Opossums have too low a body temp to incubate the rabies virus. And they actually perform an important ecological role. Possum-proof the coop, if possible, and just remove the guy. Yes, he can definitely harm your hens, but only if he gets in the coop at night when they can't see him.
Oh, and another interesting piece of trivia about opossum genitalia... they are the only mammals with the nuts in front, instead of behind ...it!

 

[RIVERRAT]

baseball bat to the head or ot will never go away

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I noticed that someone said that possums can't carry the rabies virus but that's not true. My son just lost his beloved pit bull Rebel after she was attacked by a rabid possum. Rebel was lying in the back yard and the possum came over the fence and attacked her.

My son came out with a sledge hammer and killed the possum. Boxed it up and took it to the NYS Health Dept and it came back positive for rabies. Because Rebel had so many bites on her, they suggested that he put her down.

My son is devastated.

Laurie