It wasn't playing possum but what to do with babies? Sad Update

[luvmychicknkids]

Hi....opossum mommy here.

Granted mine weren't quite that little when I got them, but still tiny and helpless.

All perfect advice from buzzard chick. However, I found mine would NEVER use a puppy/kitten bottle. I had to use a dropper until they were off the bottle completely. I used wet q-tips to "potty" them when they were really tiny. They are precious little animals and if you can't get a wildlife rescue person to take it over, they make wonderful pets......quite easy to potty train and very affectionate. Since I highly doubt you will raise it and then lock it in the chicken coop, I don't think you really need to go kill crazy as some would recommend.

Edit to say, just in case you would like to see one of mine now, about three or four posts down on this thread shows my middle son with my boy, Topaz.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=37678

 

[SpottedCrow]

Definitely a wildlife centre...I took our foundling Hiccups to one...
I couldn't kill him either...your's is sooo much younger than Hiccups.

 

[ruth]

Thanks Buzzard Chick & Luvmychicknkids - glad to see there are others who have raised opposums. This one is so tiny - smaller than my thumb and I have small hands/fingers.

It is still alive this morning. Hubby just got back from going to vets. They gave him puppy milk replacement, some really small syringes and a home-made formula to try in case I don't want to keep buying puppy replacement milk (evap. milk, water, egg yolk, karo syrup). I'll try the replacement milk first since he bought a can but as it gets older I may try the other recipe.

I did hourly feedings all night because it wouldn't use the dropper. I did get it to suck on the towel which I kept saturating with milk using cotton balls which it would also suck on so it was getting a little at a time.

I'll keep you posted. I can't believe I'm doing this but it helps to know others have raised them.

 

[kaacres]

I think what you are doing is wonderful. I don't think I could do it, but then we have a wildlife rescue not to far from us. So I would have an out.

I do know that I could not kill it and I am someone who not only has horses but have a horse that has had EPM TWICE! So I have no love what so ever for the little critters and have killed more than one adult for being on my property but I know I could not kill one that is so young and helpless.

I respect what you are doing.

 

[Lunachick]

How are you doing with that lil baby? That was sad about the mom and other babies.

Makes you wonder what happened.

 

[ilovemychickies]

Awww! It's so cute! Good for you for taking care of it. I could never in a million years kill something so tiny, helpless, and adorable. Keep us updated on how it goes!

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Hi all - so far baby is still alive but was in danger of being killed by a day old baby chick. Now wouldn't that have been irony

I put the possum baby on brooder box floor to take a pic of it and the baby chicks that just hatched - and one baby chick ran over and grabbed it by it's foot and drug it across the floor before I could put camera down and pry it away from it. I had to count the poor thing's fingers and toes because I was sure it had bitten one off but they are all there. I have it in brooder box but in a separte little box of it's own which I had to put a lid over because the 4 newly hatched chicks keep getting in box on top of possum baby.

Here's the Killer Chick about to make a run for it:

Lunachick - it's no real mystery what happened to the mama. She made the mistake of wandering into Rex and Lucy land. Those two dogs are the reason my chickens have been free ranging since they were two weeks old and never any loss to predators. Normally the predators don't wander into the yard area and keep to the woods so I've never actually seen anything that they have had to kill - usually just chases things off before they get close. Not sure why mama came so close into our yard. Obviously a fatal mistake.

I still can't believe anyone raises these things as pets and I do find myself having to fight the idea of flushing it down the toilet (sorry, just being honest). It looks like a blind, hairless mouse and I think the adults are the most hideous things I've ever seen - BUT I have to remind myself that it is a living creature of God and it has fallen into my life to make a decision on it's life. I call our farm Bethel (House of God) and it is a sanctuary for every injured or stray animal that wanders into my life. I've always been softhearted. Everyone has a great home/life here and everyone gets along, chickens included, and no one lives withins confines of cages or fences - just one big happy family. I guess one little possum will find it's way into the family.

And hey, not too many years ago I thought all chickens were white and dirty and the ugliest birds God ever made and if anyone had ever told me that someday I would be hand-hatching and raising them I would have laughed. Amazing how our ideas/beliefs can change over time.

 

[ruth]

Sad Update - he didn't make it. Went to give him a feeding and he was dead. Poor little thing. Never could get it to take the dropper, would only kind of suck off my hand or towel.

Thanks all for your help - it was just too young and had spent too much time outside on the dead mother.

 

[BrahmaMama]

Aw, sorry to hear that

At least you tried

 

[luvmychicknkids]

So sorry to hear that he died. You did your best for him. They are extremely hard to keep alive so young.