Opossum....How much of a threat??

[Kasilofchrisn]

Take this for what you will because there isn't an opossum within a thousand miles of me.
Possums can be a threat to your chickens that much I know.
Just because somebody hasn't had a problem with them doesn't mean they won't in the future.
If it were me I would do things to dissuade the possum from coming around as others have suggested.
And if you do catch another one in your trap I would encourage you to dispatch the animal and properly dispose of the carcass.
I've been fortunate not to have any predators kill any of my chickens.
But I've killed a couple on my property and set out traps just to be sure I don't have problems in the future.

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

Most losses I have had to opossums were ground roosting eggs, chicks, juveniles and broody hens. Opossums can certainly climb, but not as well as raccoons. If birds sleep in an enclosure the opossum can not get into, the I leave opossum alone. We have a female living in barn that will soon be having a dozen or so babies. We can ship the babies to scardicat poultry keepers needing some fun. lol

The opossum we have is providing testing opportunities. I do not know how representative she is in terms of climbing abilities, but we are using her to test ways of protecting nest from her by elevating nest. So far, having nest set on 55-gallon barrels does the trick. She is typical for a opossum in that she can not do much in the way of jumping.

So you are saying you're using your chickens as bait to test whether or not a possum can get to them?
I guess I value my chickens a lot more than you do!
Now I understand a person doing what they can to predator-proof their Coop run etcetera.
but I also think if you have predators lurking around you should do what you can to dissuade them and keep them off of your property.
Often times that means dispatching the predator if it's legal to do so.
But to each their own I guess.

 

[centrarchid]

So you are saying you're using your chickens as bait to test whether or not a possum can get to them?
I guess I value my chickens a lot more than you do!
Now I understand a person doing what they can to predator-proof their Coop run etcetera.
but I also think if you have predators lurking around you should do what you can to dissuade them and keep them off of your property.
Often times that means dispatching the predator if it's legal to do so.
But to each their own I guess.

Check my threads. I have been keeping birds for a while and watching how the predators operate so I know how they beat efforts to thwart them. Last loss to an Opossum was in 2012, but I have had opossums since then and killed more than a few. Those killed were treated so because I was lazy. Method of killing most dogs or a light rifle, but I few took a hit from my shoe. Not a pansy here to be sure.

It is not practical to keep predators off roughly 20 acres, not even the 6 acres the chickens actually use regularly. I use a concept known integrated pest management. Predator management cost are not to exceed cost of losses themselves, if they do, then do not keep chickens as you do not have the resources to do so.

 

[White leghorn farmer]

You should have killed the sorry sucker. He will kill your chickens in a heart beat. But hopefully you have scared the possum enough for him not to come back.

 

[White leghorn farmer]

We have tried pellets but our girls wouldn't eat them. We do have a waterer out, I will talk to my husband about moving it inside the coop to prevent wild birds from using it. I'm not sure what else we can do about the feed though. We have had rats, we constantly have traps out to rid what we can. Any other ideas for feeders or ways to reduce food waste?

My chickens wont eat cracked corn or oyster shells. i guess chicken eat different things in different areas

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

redator management cost are not to exceed cost of losses themselves, if they do, then do not keep chickens as you do not have the resources to do so.

It's been about 3 years since I got back into keeping chickens again and I haven't lost one yet to a predator.
Under this theory I should be spending $0 on Predator management as I have $0 in losses.
But yet I still have a live trap set for small predators and a multi catch trap for rats and mice.
Why?
Because being proactive is one thing I can do to protect my chickens.
Why wait until I have a loss to start protecting them?
Like I said to each their own though.

 

[centrarchid]

It's been about 3 years since I got back into keeping chickens again and I haven't lost one yet to a predator.
Under this theory I should be spending $0 on Predator management as I have $0 in losses.
But yet I still have a live trap set for small predators and a multi catch trap for rats and mice.
Why?
Because being proactive is one thing I can do to protect my chickens.
Why wait until I have a loss to start protecting them?
Like I said to each their own though.

I have gone years between losses of any sort to predators with free-range chickens. My math is based on long-term scenarios, not a flash in the pan. You can find many others with setups very similar to yours where losses are higher, especially in urban locations where predator densities are higher.

You will season with time.

 

[Folly's place]

I've also lost birds to opossums, and shoot any that arrive in my coop or barn, or in a live trap. They also carry an intestinal parasite, Sarcocystis neurona, that kills or causes serious permanent disability in horses. No opossums are welcome in my barn!!!
Mary