How do I clean a coop after opossum is gone and How do you deal with a Traumatized Chicken?

[50-45-1]

your bird had a bad experience in the igloo and does not trust it to keep her safe anymore.
chickens naturally like to perch up off the floor. this keeps them safer from some ground predators. you should really scrap the dog igloo idea and build her something with hardware cloth and and a place to perch at night.
the chicken wire and what sounds like an open garage are not safe for your chicken at all.

 

[Scrambles55]

A secured chicken coop and pen with a buddy or two.

 

[Raeja]

And get her a pen pal or two. Chickens don’t do well alone. They also need something to perch on.

Pixie doe have couple things to perch one. I understand she needs a friend She was a friend for Bubbles after tophat passed way. Pixie was a "farm raised" chicken where as all of mine were "hand raised". I need to worry about a new bird not getting along with Pixie and this is Wisconsin and I am sure the weather is going to get nasty

 

[Raeja]

your bird had a bad experience in the igloo and does not trust it to keep her safe anymore.
chickens naturally like to perch up off the floor. this keeps them safer from some ground predators. you should really scrap the dog igloo idea and build her something with hardware cloth and an place to perch at night.
the chicken wire and what sounds like an open garage are not safe for your chicken at all.

I am looking for an idea that because I did not pressure wash the igloo that there may be an "Oder" that my be preventing her for wanted to go in

 

[Raeja]

Do chickens have a sense of smell ~ If that is the case, I feel like a bad mom brause of the weather, I don't want to pressure wash this lat in the cold season'

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't think it is the smell, or chickens sense of smell, that is keeping Pixie from going into the igloo. I think it is the traumatic experience that Pixie still remembers. One idea that popped into my head, is this; Since you are in Farm country, can you get a few bales of straw, and make a base. place igloo on top of straw base. Chicken would be off the ground the height of straw bale, and would feel more secure, since she is higher off ground.

 

[Raeja]

Thanks Cavemanrich! This was a bad season for farmers all around. We had a hard time finding bales of straw because a lot of farms are going to the large rolls. A friend who has a horse farm here in town gave me the bale of straw I am using for bedding. Steve, who owns the hardware store has bales for sale for $6.50 each. I would just have to make a walk up ramp to the igloo like the one she has for the "hut" where they lay the eggs. You are AMAZING!

 

[Raeja]

your bird had a bad experience in the igloo and does not trust it to keep her safe anymore.
chickens naturally like to perch up off the floor. this keeps them safer from some ground predators. you should really scrap the dog igloo idea and build her something with hardware cloth and and a place to perch at night.
the chicken wire and what sounds like an open garage are not safe for your chicken at all.

The garage is not open. I am using the back of the garage(blocks the west) and the side of the shed (blocks the east). I call the wire chicken wire but it is not and I truly don't know what kind it is

 

[Raeja]

A secured chicken coop and pen with a buddy or two.

Yes she needs a buddy. She was the "buddy" that replace the one that passed away. Now she is the one who is "buddyless". I can only have one more because the pen is about 5' wide and the width of my 2 car garage. I let the chickens out to walk around the yard and 2 is about all I feel comfortable walking loose under my supervision.

 

[Raeja]

Might need some repair, the opossum got in there somehow

Ehhh, I don't think so, but if that's where the attack happened it will take time for the remaining bird to get used to it again....right now it seems 'unsafe' to her.

Padlocks.

The opossum must have shimmied up the fence by the metal stake. I am thinking the blood came from him because Pixie was not injured. The fence was wrapped around the stake and secured with the type of wire you would use to secure the white ceramic thing for an electric fence, so it may have poked the opossum because the only blood was on the back of garage near entry point and all over the electric waterer. When my neighbor got the opossum out and into a live trap it didn't looked injured either so I don't think there was an attack. The opossum looked young and I think it was just looking for a warm place to stay. It fell through the poultry netting

I think what I need to come up with is a better way to secure the netting over the top. I do know that I need to come up with a better design for that. I rent this house, so I don't want to get all "crazy" with a lemke fence style which would be a better fit.