Near Miss

[XanderWiFi]

Last night on my way to work, my wife calls me and exclaims: "There's a opossum in the run!" She was going out around 1830 to close up their internal run and coop for the evening.

Oh Lord. I think. We just lost the rest of the birds.

Luckily, he was just interested in the compost pile inside their run. He immediately started trying to boot scoot out of there with my wife in the run with him. He got away before I could contact a neighbor to (hopefully) neutralize it.

All birds were safe and secure. Very near miss. We are making a renewed effort to get them closed in right at dusk and not dilly-dallying. The little booger crawled up my 8 foot run wall and under the aviary netting. The netting is not terribly difficult to get under as it is meant more to keep raptors out from ABOVE. I will be correcting that tomorrow by zip-tying the aviary netting to the rim of the run wall to make it more difficult to get under while maintaining defense from the sky.

Every which way, the predators will test defenses. Just outside my run I have a little surprise for any new night time lurkers. They'll have a nice last meal of hot dogs before they touch the gals again.

 

[theoldchick]

You gotta do what you gotta do. I had a whopper appear out of the woods. I had no idea possums could be so large. Fortunately, my pony was on the ball and took care of things.

 

[XanderWiFi]

Your pony? Is that code word or really a pony protected your gals?

 

[theoldchick]

Yeah, a mini who is worth is weight in predator control:

 

[m1chelle1]

Yeah, a mini who is worth is weight in predator control:

View attachment 1251828

Bad A**! Never heard of a livestock protection pony!! this is wonderful!

 

[m1chelle1]

Last night on my way to work, my wife calls me and exclaims: "There's a opossum in the run!" She was going out around 1830 to close up their internal run and coop for the evening.

Oh Lord. I think. We just lost the rest of the birds.

Luckily, he was just interested in the compost pile inside their run. He immediately started trying to boot scoot out of there with my wife in the run with him. He got away before I could contact a neighbor to (hopefully) neutralize it.

All birds were safe and secure. Very near miss. We are making a renewed effort to get them closed in right at dusk and not dilly-dallying. The little booger crawled up my 8 foot run wall and under the aviary netting. The netting is not terribly difficult to get under as it is meant more to keep raptors out from ABOVE. I will be correcting that tomorrow by zip-tying the aviary netting to the rim of the run wall to make it more difficult to get under while maintaining defense from the sky.

Every which way, the predators will test defenses. Just outside my run I have a little surprise for any new night time lurkers. They'll have a nice last meal of hot dogs before they touch the gals again.

WOOH! This made me nervous reading. We have big ones around here too and man do they kill chickens! Almost as bas as the raccoons. Glad it was a "near miss" and the rascal didn't get your girls! I go hardcore tigress on any predators around mine too. We don't fool around with that stuff!
Good to hear youre taking proper measures to protect them. Good luck, hope youre able to keep the buggers OUT!

 

[theoldchick]

It was a fluke. He came with a horse I purchased as a freebie. He's like a Jack Russel terrier. He doesn't realize how small he actually is!

 

[AllenK RGV]

Yes, @theoldchick what breed of pony are you using? I have been wanting mini donkeys for this purpose, but just don't have the acreage to support more than one and do not want to socially isolate it.

 

[XanderWiFi]

The pony thing is pretty spectacular.

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Yeah, a mini who is worth is weight in predator control:

View attachment 1251828[/QUOTE
A whole new meaning to the pony express, awesome