Opossum moved in...help!

[Fluffy&Cutie]

Here in LA, opossums are common. several years ago my dog took care of the opossum family that lived here. She's old now & last night a new opossum was eating her dog food! What can I do to protect my new baby chicks? They will be moving into the coop in 2 weeks. They will be 9 weeks. i'm so mad, talk about timing. How do i make the coop safer? How do I deter the opossum from eating through the wood? Can i use habanero peppers to prevent the critter from chewing the wood? What type of dogs protect chickens? I believe that opossums are protected here by law and i wouldn't kill this creature, but i will protect my girls. Your advice is welcome here.
Super thanks,

 

[aart]

Don't leave dog food out where predators can eat it.

What does your coop look like?
Hot wire is a good thing.

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

Don't leave dog food out where predators can eat it.What does your coop look like?
Hot wire is a good thing.

what is hot wire? like an electric fence?
yes, we have been covering the dog food, but she had JUST finished eating...i am thinking of moving the dog food to a new space closer to our home. and i am changing the feeding time. the coop is a prefab-just a starter coop, since these are our first chickens. we have not added the 6 inches in the in the ground under the coop yet
i will try and post the pic in the next post.

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

Here is the pic

 

[chickengeorgeto]

what is hot wire? like an electric fence?...

The words "hot wire" and "electric fence" are one and the same.

Possums are just big old babies. A broom is all you need to capture one if you see him. Just belabor him or her around the head and shoulders with a broom and a possum will sull up. In other words pass out. It then becomes a simple matter to pick it up by it's prehensile tail and deliver him up to his maker ready to be recycled. Just carry your captive possums at arm's length in case it regains consensus and tries to fight back by nipping you.

 

[RWise]

I use a .22 air riffle,,,hollow points and one well placed shot is all thats needed. From there the dog takes care of it.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

We have possum here. I bring in our cat food dishes every evening, and bring in the chicken feeders as well. Close up your chickens in the coop, and make sure the welded wire is secure on your coop. I have a prefab, and the welded wire over all the windows and run was stapled with tiny staples that pulled right out if you push on it from the outside. I restapled all the welded wire, and added a hardware cloth apron around the outside perimeter. So far the possum have climbed on top of the coop, but haven't gotten in.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Possums are just big old babies. A broom is all you need to capture one if you see him. Just belabor him or her around the head and shoulders with a broom and a possum will sull up. In other words pass out. It then becomes a simple matter to pick it up by it's prehensile tail and deliver him up to his maker ready to be recycled. Just carry your captive possums at arm's length in case it regains consensus and tries to fight back by nipping you.

I had one on top of my coop, and smacked it in the head with a rake, expecting it to play possum and roll up. It just stared at me. Lol. It never did play dead, and after I shoved it off the coop with the rake, it ran off. First one I have seen that wasn't afraid. It didn't even hiss or bare its teeth at me.

 

[Roosterrob21]

Just leave dog food out and post up with a pistol. Spot him, pull the trigger. Done and done

 

[vamiot]

Here in LA, opossums are common. several years ago my dog took care of the opossum family that lived here. She's old now & last night a new opossum was eating her dog food! What can I do to protect my new baby chicks? They will be moving into the coop in 2 weeks. They will be 9 weeks. i'm so mad, talk about timing. How do i make the coop safer? How do I deter the opossum from eating through the wood? Can i use habanero peppers to prevent the critter from chewing the wood? What type of dogs protect chickens? I believe that opossums are protected here by law and i wouldn't kill this creature, but i will protect my girls. Your advice is welcome here.
Super thanks,

My husband put hard wire under the coop and brought it out about a foot past the edges ,he bent it down into the ground and covered it with dirt. We have coons and possum and they never ate through the wood. Buy a live trap from tractor supply and put a dish of cat food in it ,we've caught family's of both nite after nite. We then take them 6 miles away and let them go