HELP! What is this thing(pic inside)? Another predator?

[Fintechie]

 

[DobieLover]

View attachment 2544438

That's an opossum.
They can and will attack chickens.
Did this guy get trapped in the fenced area and couldn't get out? They are nocturnal so seeing it during the day is disconcerting unless he couldn't get out of the fenced area.

 

[AntiqueB]

X2

 

[slip n slide]

That's pretty amazing you've gotten to this point in life and not seen one as they are ubiquitous and live everywhere,literally!
They are slow and stupid and very hard to kill.While not good ecologically,easier to relocate.They move so slowly you can usually walk up on 'em,grab 'em by the tail and take 'em away.Now, coons?Whole nuther thing.... I'll kill 'em w/o a second look.Both are very bad for chickens,I mean,lookit those teeth,right?

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Do you have a dog to dispatch it for you?

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Usually seen at night, opossums will eat eggs and attack chickens. They are not as nimble as raccoons, but they can cause trouble. We used to have one who came on our deck at night to eat the cat food. She brought her baby one night. It was on her back!

 

[Fintechie]

Thank you all for the prompt responses! We opened the fence door and drove it out. I guess it crawled underneath the fence to get into my backyard but forgot where it came through. The snow covered ground didn’t help either. I just saw a hawk attacking a flock of birds...

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

I would kill it if I was you, it knows were your birds are, and will most likely come back.

 

[MamaBelle5]

I wouldn't have killed it. They eat ticks, rats, mice and even venomous snakes. While they can be a danger to your chickens, if your run and coop are secured, you should be okay. They also scare pretty easily.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

If it got in then that means it was not secure.