How to keep possum away

[DLA]

True, seldom rabies, but not impossible.
Mary

I've shot several possum over the years that were clearly rabid so they can get rabies. If you see them out during broad daylight and not running for cover that's a red flag. We have quite a few raccoon, skunks and possum around and those first two are known carriers and at night they all compete for the same food sources so transmission is fairy easy between them. I don't shoot them unless they're acting sick or messing around my coop. Covering or removing any food in your coop/run and ensuring it's protected with hardware cloth goes a long way to keeping them from bothering your chickens. Also they will go after wild bird feeders so removing those will also help make your area less of a meeting spot for furry chicken eaters. I have lots of wildlife around but have had no issues, thankfully, with attempted coop/run break ins since I started covering the chickens food at night and removed the wild bird feeders.

 

[Folly's place]

Our DNR had been good about having diseased critters necropsied, not a problem here. And 'neurological' covers a number of things, none good, but not all rabies.
Mary

 

[LuciferRoo]

Possums have such a low body temperature they rarely get the rabies virus so that doesn't concern me.What concerns me is one sneaking in the coop

I had one sneaking into my coop in the evening and stealing eggs.
No chickens,were harmed but I certainly did not want him there.

 

[Quail_]

My basset had a possum hemmed up last night but I made him come inside. I'll have to trap them or they'll keep coming back.I don't want to shoot and bury them.( depressing)

Trapping is the most humain way to deal with them. I cant argue that,

 

[Folly's place]

We have horses too, and so trap and shoot any opossums found at the coop or in the barn. Can't have possum poo anywhere near the horses or their hay!
Having a safe coop, especially at night, manages poultry/ possum issues very well.
In Michigan, such critters can be released on the same owner's property, or on private land within the same county with landowner permission. Only.
Mary

 

[Debbie292d]

A local group of farmers here feed them cheap catfood. They said as long as the opossums were fed, they left everything alone. They put a dish of it far from the coop and fill it daily. I guess as long as it's cheap cat food, that's fine, but what happens if you go on vacation for a week or two?

 

[Folly's place]

True, seldom rabies, but not impossible.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Any of those sick opossums actually tested?
Mary

 

[DLA]

Any of those sick opossums actually tested?
Mary

No but anyone who's seen an animal with rabies can usually tell when they see it again. They both had the rigid leg walk, one had pronounced drooling/foaming of the mouth, the other was not as pronounced, they were both growling and snapping at things that weren't there and were out stumbling around the yard during the day. One of the neighbors had shot a rabid raccoon in the first case and a sick (suspected rabies) stray/wild dog in the second within 2 or 3 weeks of this so there was no reason to get it tested. Shot, buried deep with lime all around so nothing would be tempted to dig it up, disinfected the shovel. Then passed the word do all of the neighbors. Even in the rare chance it wasn't rabies, they were clearly diseased and needed put down. I'm a good shot so they didn't suffer.
This is still a pretty rural area with farms and stuff. The state game people aren't always interested in coming out to investigate stuff. I would have had to collect the carcass and drive quite a distance to deliver it to be tested so that wasn't happening. I did call and left a message with the game commission about it though.

 

[McChooky]

Possums have such a low body temperature they rarely get the rabies virus so that doesn't concern me.What concerns me is one sneaking in the coop