Opossum questions

[DianeS]

Saw my first predator yesterday - an opossum. Thankfully it was a small one, and ran away when I walked toward it. But the bad news is that it was IN the chicken run that I didn't think it should have been able to get in to. It ran around the side of the coop and was gone before I got there, so I did not see how it left the run, either.

So - how do opossoms get in somewhere that would be difficult for them? Are they climbers, diggers, push-their-way-in animals, etc?

And out of curiousity, how large would an opossum have to be to really be a threat to almost-grown chickens? Mine are Cornish X, 6 weeks, so about 6 lbs apiece - they look almost full grown. This opossum was small, I probably could have turned a bread pan over on top of him, including almost all his tail. I'm wondering if he's an active predator at that size, or if he was just looking to see if the chickens left any good food around?

Any info you can share about opossoms would be great, thanks! I want to get rid of this one before he gets any bigger.

 

[Kevin565]

Possums down here are climbers as well as push there way in. Also Possums are a threat to ADULT chickens. They can be very vicious and can easily take down more than one bird.

 

[Imp]

I don't find possums much of a threat. But a lot of people seem to think so, and have problems. I have at least 2 living in my yard and they go after cat and chicken food. I had one getting into the coop after lockup. One night I scared it and then watched it lay on it's back and wiggle through the rounded corner on the chain link gate.

Imp- Good luck, be vigilant

ETA- At night if your coop is dark the chickens are in their nighttime stupor; they are easy prey to smaller animals.

 

[centrarchid]

DianS,

Adult oppossums can kill an adult chicken of any breed. Oppossums that are 1/3 grown can kill young chickens outright. Something I have noticed is that when oppossums mearly wound a chicken, odds are high the chicken will succumb to infection.

I kill the buggers onsight as they do to learn they are not welcome which is exceptional relative to other mammals that take chickens. They are also relatively cheap dog food.

 

[DianeS]

OK, if opossums can kill chickens when they're just 1/3 grown, then I need to find this one ASAP. Thanks.

 

[centrarchid]

OK, if opossums can kill chickens when they're just 1/3 grown, then I need to find this one ASAP. Thanks.

They are pretty regular on visits. Mine usually come for feed on ground and in feeders first. Birds and eggs are an afterthough. I have a dog that trees and kills them but I also check with flashlight a couple times each night. They are very easy to catch even by hand. They are also easy to dispatch with a ball bat. Do not use golf clubs or hammer. Rifle also works if you are handy with one.

They are extremely vulnerable to livestraps.

 

[centrarchid]

OK, if opossums can kill chickens when they're just 1/3 grown, then I need to find this one ASAP. Thanks.

Diane S,

As a preventative measure I always have a baited live trap set near pens. This is really important when no dog is in place. The oppossums and sometimes even coons go to it before ever getting into birds. It also enables being aware of presence even when the visit at times I am not looking. Something I have learned about these critters and others like foxes and coyotes is they often visit on multiple occassions before actually putting moves on my birds. The trap ideally works then rather than after losses start.

 

[johnderosa1]

Possums can defintely kill your birds but from my perspective they are a little easier to keep out compared to raccoons. I too keep a trap set at all times but don't bait as I am not trying to attract predators... just catch any nosing around the coop. I've caught several possums this way but since my coop is very secure, I released them without too much concern. I've never lost a bird to them. Raccoons on the other hand are SMART, strong and very persistant. I had a family of them kill 3 of my birds last summer by reaching through the wire on their cage. I reinforced the cage with 1/2" hardware cloth since and now that the coop is complete haven't lost a bird. I would not hesitate killing any raccoon I catch however as they pose too much of a threat, even with "fort knox" as a coop.

 

[centrarchid]

Possums can defintely kill your birds but from my perspective they are a little easier to keep out compared to raccoons. I too keep a trap set at all times but don't bait as I am not trying to attract predators... just catch any nosing around the coop. I've caught several possums this way but since my coop is very secure, I released them without too much concern. I've never lost a bird to them. Raccoons on the other hand are SMART, strong and very persistant. I had a family of them kill 3 of my birds last summer by reaching through the wire on their cage. I reinforced the cage with 1/2" hardware cloth since and now that the coop is complete haven't lost a bird. I would not hesitate killing any raccoon I catch however as they pose too much of a threat, even with "fort knox" as a coop.

Most people with chickens already baiting predators to location with sweet smell of feed and concentrated prey (chickens). Bait in traps does little more than direct predator already on premises to trap.

Racoons for me can be persuaded not to visit when I or dog get into them. My interactions involve chasing them hard across feild. I know chase is a learner when they turn and try to bluff me cause I keep on coming. Dog on other hand simply mauls them. If they go up the small trees in pasture, then I follow and knock them out. They remember and seem to steer clear very well. Again, oppossums not so smart so they keep coming back unless dog kills them which has now become the rule.

 

[johnderosa1]

Centrarchid, I get what you are saying about already baiting but I do think keeping a trap set with a strong smelling bait does risk luring in something that may not have stopped to investigate a closed up coop... I would definitely bait however if I had already suffered an attack. I used the carcasses of the chickens killed by the raccoon family as bait (very successfully) after they killed the three birds last summer.