North Carolina

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

YES!!!
Stupid stupid possums!
That's how I lost my ridiculously priced sexed silkies from My Pet Chicken, and all the Blue Isbars I hatched (which those eggs weren't cheap either!!!)
I was closing the door to my run but leaving the coop door inside open thinking it was secure, but there was a slight opening where the bird netting met the fence and he was squeezing in.
A HUGE one was going in my meat turkey pen last Fall before I put the bird netting on the top (my turkeys were way too fat to fly the 7ft out). I watched him go in there, he's run right up the side of the fence and go down. He wouldn't mess with the turkeys as they were too big, but he would sit there and eat their food. My husband was away with the Army & he sent me out there with a shovel in the middle of the nigh to kill him (which I couldn't do). He seemed totally domesticated too living in town. Didn't try to run or hiss or play dead when I was right up next to him. I thought he was going to start rubbing up on my leg to be pet like a cat. DH took care of him when he came home a couple weeks later...

My main predators are hawks, followed by the possum. If they lost the sitting chicken during the day it would have more likely been a hawk, but I didn't think they would go in a nest box like that? Possum only come out at night. My possum ate my birds thoroughly, but they were still young. The hawks possibly got scared off, but they mainly ripped heads off or ripped the bodies and left them, didn't really eat them or carry them off. Not sure if that's the normal? I know it was hawks though because I caught them each time. Racoons are another one that will kill chickens too, and usually bigger than possums. Once again, they only hunt at night though.

Actually.....many predators can and will hunt during the daytime too.
They just try to not be noticed when they move around during the day.
We had a young Great Horned owl actually come into the pigeon loft
and had himself quite a feast on my pigeons. DH cam home to find the
owl and carnage all about. According to DH, he and that owl exercised
each other for nearly an hour before the owl allowed himself to be netted
so DH could get it outside for release. All this was during the prime daylight
hours of the afternoon. I have seen racoons and possums during the day but
that is a rare thing. We have had possums in the coop before......mostly they
just ate the eggs and did not bother the hens but we do have large fowl
breeds and not the smaller ones. We did loose 3 adult geese hens to a possum.
Apparently it had staked out an area as it's territory and it was where the geese
would settle for the night so it killed them.....1 every few days.......we had a hard
time finding that possum but finally did. It was encouraged to relocate.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Actually.....many predators can and will hunt during the daytime too.
They just try to not be noticed when they move around during the day.
We had a young Great Horned owl actually come into the pigeon loft
and had himself quite a feast on my pigeons. DH cam home to find the
owl and carnage all about. According to DH, he and that owl exercised
each other for nearly an hour before the owl allowed himself to be netted
so DH could get it outside for release. All this was during the prime daylight
hours of the afternoon. I have seen racoons and possums during the day but
that is a rare thing. We have had possums in the coop before......mostly they
just ate the eggs and did not bother the hens but we do have large fowl
breeds and not the smaller ones. We did loose 3 adult geese hens to a possum.
Apparently it had staked out an area as it's territory and it was where the geese
would settle for the night so it killed them.....1 every few days.......we had a hard
time finding that possum but finally did. It was encouraged to relocate.

Hmmn good to know!
I've only ever seen bird predators around here during the day.
Our possums only ever came out at night.
Maybe since we're in town they don't like to come out during the day with some many people out and about?
I know they're supposed to be nocturnal, I didn't know possums would hunt during the day.

 

[BHep]

Yup.....It is raining here. Grass will be 3 foot high tomorrow.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Hmmn good to know!
I've only ever seen bird predators around here during the day.
Our possums only ever came out at night.
Maybe since we're in town they don't like to come out during the day with some many people out and about?
I know they're supposed to be nocturnal, I didn't know possums would hunt during the day.

You're right in thinking that possums "usually" hunt at night but
the point I'm trying to make is that sometimes they do move about
during the day and if dinner is at hand they will dine. We rarely have
problems with possums. We have more problems with snakes and
raccoons and even with that we try to live with the wildlife and just
improve the coops/runs. Wildlife have an important role in the health
of our world and we need them.

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote:
And covered in frog eggs unless I can get the water out. Should be a musical night, too bad there probably won't be any moonlight to go along with the mood of the night population LOL.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Yup.....It is raining here. Grass will be 3 foot high tomorrow.

Put those goats to work.....free food.

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote:
Don't tell my DH, but I left a young rat snake in the main chicken house a few weeks ago, must be good eaten as I have seen him the past two days in there.

 

[BHep]

Quote:


Don't tell my DH, but I left a young rat snake in the main chicken house a few weeks ago, must be good eaten as I have seen him the past two days in there.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Some members in other states closer to the north have posted about this weather killing their chicks/pullets. I hope mine are okay outside, they all have shelter but they're not too smart and choose to stay outside. I've been teaching some pullets to perch in the coop. But it's like teaching a cripple how to walk. They prefer to huddle in a corner of the pen.

I'm sorry but I am crippled to a degree and I resent the remark.
Do not underestimate the determination of the handicap. Do not
underestimate the ability of the crippled to learn.

 

[philyaw539]

I have one question, do you prefer chicken nipples/open water containers? Thanks Everyone in advance!