Look who is snooping around!

[ChxSwaggah]

I absolutely love my game camera! I have had the girls in the coop for 3 weeks now and this is the first sign of any varmint taking an interest in what is going on in the area. I haven't seen any signs of digging around the perimeter ( I've buried a foot or so of hardware cloth so I don't think he will get in that way) or any disturbance of the enclosure's wire so I don't think he has attempted entry yet. The girls spend the overnight inside the hen house which I think is like Fort Knox (we shall see).

Has anyone had any experience with Possums? Is there something I can do proactively? Or do I just need to wait to see if there is a chink in my armor?

 

[nan4848]

I believe in live and let live, if I'm absolutely certain the critter cannot get near my chickens. If you're sure of that, and also sure he/she cannot get in the run, or make a home under the coop, I'd leave it be. Where there is one there will be more.Just keep and eye out for holes under the coop or run. They can fit through smaller openings than you would think.

 

[PalmRoyal]

Is there a way that you can put a light on your little coop? I've been told that a light deters most pests away from areas you do not want them near. Maybe even a simple $10 solar light might work.

 

[RonP]

Possum will move on, they are not known to be territorial.

Try to think like one, and locate your weakest entry points before you sustain a loss...

 

[centrarchid]

It likely visits every night and is trying to get at sweet smell of feed. Opossums are easy beat with well constructed coop and they do not dig. More likely than not more than one visits you.

 

[aart]

A light likely won't keep predators away and might well disturb the chickens.

Looks/sounds like your coop is well built, interesting to see what's lurking....I'd love to have one of those cameras, but not sure it wouldn't just make me nervous.

 

[ChxSwaggah]

The hardest part of having the camera is being patient enough to leave the **** thing alone. I've found it doesn't catch anything really interesting until a little time has past since I first set it up. Possibly my scent disturbs the natives enough that they don't go near it for a bit. Anyways I have had some fun with it. Best time was when I got some great overnight pictures of the "barn cats" my dad was feeding in his barn. 3 different pretty "cats" that were black with a white stripe down their back. Pictures were sandwiched in between those of my brother running out through the barn responding to a fire alarm. Luckily my brother never bumped into any of those "cats".

I left the camera set up in the same place down near the coop, so I may check it again to see if I've had any other overnight visitors. I really doubt that the possum could get to the chickens, but I was just checking if anyone else had had any experiences with the critters. I really expected racoons before I got possums.