Never though this would Happen!

[Lanissa86]

OH NO!!

For days my very "city" neighbors said they saw what looked like a Chinchilla hanging out near my chicken coop.

Said it looked like a baby and probably got out of some kids cage nearby.

So curiosity got me and I wanted to see what the heck was going on at night by my babies....




Some Chinchilla this is....

Its a small possum!!!!!

What do I do?

I can't put out a live trap because with my luck I'll just catch a cat! I told my dad we should buy a BB gun or something....

I am in tears just thinking "what if this little thing were bigger"?

My girls would be gonners!

 

[TheBuff]

If I were afraid it was going to get my chickens I would go ahead and set a live trap. If you catch a cat you could always turn it loose unharmed.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Of course that's a chinchilla! LOL Chase it off, poke it with a stick, kick it (lightly of course, just so it knows there's something bigger and badder around). I had a skunk that refused to leave, enough pestering and it left. I would set a trap though. Like theBuff said, if you catch a cat you can let it go.

 

[Paganbird]

Put out a trap. It might be small now... but they get bigger and hungrier. Even if it can't get a chicken - it may still go after eggs!!
Oh... and... they're ugly. That's reason enough for me. I don't want an ugly possum anywhere near my coop!

 

[wanda047]

If there's a little possum around... bet he's got a momma and siblings!!!

Shoot the thing!

 

[ivan3]

Definitely transport this `chinchilla' to the fur farm. It is big enough to enter a dark coop and open up the craws of roosting, adult, standard hens (my aunt sutured two of her girls up after an attack by one such diminutive demon).

 

[ems_chick]

such a cute little chinchilla! off subject but moodychicken you are brave to pester a skunk till it left... i hit a dead one and decided to never go near one... ever

 

[k2chickens]

I would not take the chances either, you must do something about this possum especially if it keeps coming back to the coop night after night! Maybe you should set out a live trap later in the evening when the possum comes around so the chances of catching a cat are decreased. Do not take any chances tho do something and do something now before its to late or the possum starts bringing its family around!

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
mess with my birds and I'll do whatever it takes! lol. I used a really long stick to whack the skunk and a paint ball gun. He never really sprayed, only once did I get the backlash, no direct hits though, lol.

 

[journey11]

I'm trying to remember the name of the company (I see their ad in Countryside magazine all the time) but they make a red LED blinking light that you can mount outside your coop to frighten predators away. They got good reviews and people say they really do work. I don't actually have one, but I live way out in the country (20 minute drive to town) and I live on top of a ridge where we can see on surrounding hills 6 individual cellphone towers with blinking red lights and for 2 years of living here I have yet to see the first oppossum, skunk, weasel, groundhog, raccoon, fox, owl...anything...other than rabbits, cats and dogs and an occasional hawk by day. So I think there really must be something to the blinking red light thing.

Otherwise, if you are allowed to, shoot it and any others you see. They'll be back, in droves, and you'll wish you had. (You could live trap it, but why bother...unless you are in a neighborhood or city limits). JMHO