lost to an opossum

[ranit]

I've had lots of problems with possums this past year. Always went after the hens leaving me with more than needed roosters. Whereas our LG dog easily keeps the raccoons scared away, the possums aren't scared of her. Went out two different nights to check what she was barking at to find a possum on top of our rabbit cages. She couldn't reach them and they just sat there snarling like the picture. I went in the house and got the gun and both times they were still there when I came back out. Needless to say they are no longer with us.

I now keep a livetrap set all the time and have caught several. As darkmatter said, they are easily trapped.

 

[McKenley5]

We had an opossum back in the fall. My little chihuahua had gone out to water the grass before bedtime and he started going NUTS. He was barking and running around sniffing all around the porch and chicken coop. The stupid thing was hiding under our porch, and it was quite a chore getting it to come out from under there (my son poked it with the end of a broom stick and it finally ran out. We don't own a gun, so we had an terrible time killing it. Let's just say that baseball bats, machetes, and pellet guns do NOT work. We would think it was dead and it would get back up and start hissing at us again. Neither me nor my husband had ever killed anything before, but we knew that it would eat our chickens if we left it out there. It was a terrible and gruesome experience, but my husband finally killed it with a pick axe. I am seriously considering purchasing a gun to make the protection of my chickens a little less traumatic (for the people at least)...

 

[Hansen4211]

We had an opossum back in the fall. My little chihuahua had gone out to water the grass before bedtime and he started going NUTS. He was barking and running around sniffing all around the porch and chicken coop. The stupid thing was hiding under our porch, and it was quite a chore getting it to come out from under there (my son poked it with the end of a broom stick and it finally ran out. We don't own a gun, so we had an terrible time killing it. Let's just say that baseball bats, machetes, and pellet guns do NOT work. We would think it was dead and it would get back up and start hissing at us again. Neither me nor my husband had ever killed anything before, but we knew that it would eat our chickens if we left it out there. It was a terrible and gruesome experience, but my husband finally killed it with a pick axe. I am seriously considering purchasing a gun to make the protection of my chickens a little less traumatic (for the people at least)...

Actually a gun is way less traumatic to whatever your killing too. Its just good to have one, you never know what you might encounter. We have coyotes, fox, wild pigs, and lots of opossums.

 

[Hansen4211]

I've had lots of problems with possums this past year. Always went after the hens leaving me with more than needed roosters. Whereas our LG dog easily keeps the raccoons scared away, the possums aren't scared of her. Went out two different nights to check what she was barking at to find a possum on top of our rabbit cages. She couldn't reach them and they just sat there snarling like the picture. I went in the house and got the gun and both times they were still there when I came back out. Needless to say they are no longer with us.

I now keep a livetrap set all the time and have caught several. As darkmatter said, they are easily trapped.

We also have learned to keep a trap out at all times

 

[cluckridgefarm]

We lost our beautiful Silkie to a opossum last night. I went out side to check on them....when I opened the nesting box....there he was....eating my beautiful chicken. I screamed for my husband. We have never had anything like this happen to us before and my husband has never killed anything in his life. After getting the other Hens out of the coop he chased that **** opossum out and killed it with a shovel. It was like something from a horror movie. He beat it in the head several times, until it finally succumbed. I am so sad for our loss. She was a great little layer and the sweetest chicken. This is my first chicken loss, so I am a little shook up! It makes me feel better to share with everyone!! I am so bummed

 

[bj taylor]

i had no idea that possums and skunks could be a threat to chickens. my coop is wrapped like fort knox. i sure hope it's safe enough. i'm going to be doing electric fence on the perimeter of the run, live traps, netting (to trap snakes), and keep a gun in the barn.
my chicks are almost three weeks old. they will be going to the coop before long. one of my buff orpingtons is sooo friendly. she's adorable - but she's probably the kind that is the first to be preyed on.

 

[darin367]

i've caught most of my possums using a dead chicken carcuss.... i figure if they want chicken, use chicken....... the bad part is you usually don't know you have a problem till it's to late..... so if you still have your dead hen, put her in a live trap, tie a string to her leg and tie her to the trap in the back,,, i learned this after the trap being robbed on several occasions....... the way i look at it is that the dead bird can still do the flock some good....... caught 5 possums using 1 dead hen they killed.... good luck, keep your trap set 24/7...........

 

[ivan3]

Yes, always keep the traps set. Only redeeming quality of opossums is that they are the only pred, I've observed, that will enter an unbaited trap.

 

[aprophet]

We had an opossum back in the fall. My little chihuahua had gone out to water the grass before bedtime and he started going NUTS. He was barking and running around sniffing all around the porch and chicken coop. The stupid thing was hiding under our porch, and it was quite a chore getting it to come out from under there (my son poked it with the end of a broom stick and it finally ran out. We don't own a gun, so we had an terrible time killing it. Let's just say that baseball bats, machetes, and pellet guns do NOT work. We would think it was dead and it would get back up and start hissing at us again. Neither me nor my husband had ever killed anything before, but we knew that it would eat our chickens if we left it out there. It was a terrible and gruesome experience, but my husband finally killed it with a pick axe. I am seriously considering purchasing a gun to make the protection of my chickens a little less traumatic (for the people at least)...

a conibear body grip trap placed over the possums head works here nice and quiet too

 

[aprophet]

Actually a gun is way less traumatic to whatever your killing too. Its just good to have one, you never know what you might encounter. We have coyotes, fox, wild pigs, and lots of opossums.

this may depend on which method and WHO is using said method acutually with a ball bat and a little exsperiance cervical dislocataion is a bit quicker for said animal then shooting I have regularly dispatched animals from coyote size and smaller without firearms for quiet a while now