Opossum

[whitecra]

I have a dog pen fixed up into a chicken pen. I have a tarp on the top to keep things out. I have a dog house and dog carrier for the chickens to cleep in and lay eggs. Oh by the way these are silkies. Most of them sleep on top of the carrier. I had a hen that started setting on eggs last Sun. She was in the dog house. I went out night before last to check on them and when I looked in the dog house it looked like a chicken had exploded in there. I got to looking for her thinking that something had got her and when I looking closer she was up on the carrier with the rest of the chickens. Her eggs were all broke. Well last night I had let the dogs out and when I went to get them back in my rat terrier took off to the chicken pen having a fit. My boxer and boston terrier joined her. I ran in the house and got my shoes on and a flash light. Told my husband something was in the silkie pen and we both grabed flash lights. When I got out there there was a opossum in the pen. He was standing on the top part of the tarp that blocks the wind off of the chickens. We stood there talking trying to figure how we were going to kill him. My husband had just got back from bow huntung and he went in and got his bow. I held the light and he shot the opossum. I sure hope that there is no more opossums around. My boxer has killed 2 and now this one. I am so glad that this opossum didn't kill my silkie hen. I am glad that I went to let the dogs in when I did. I have some good dogs.
Chris

 

[whitecra]

I don't understand. Why is it that when I start a new post I don't get any replys?
Chris

 

[hinkjc]

It sounds like you need a more secure pen and also something that you can close your chickens inside of at night. Roosting outdoors at night is risky, regardless of how secure you think your pen is. Once you clean out the possums, another predator will take its place to try to get to your birds. They need a secure pen and should be closed every night for their safety.

Jody

 

[Jenski]

whitecra, maybe posts that contain questions are more likely to have quick replies. Or maybe by posting at 8 on a weekday, only naughty folks like me who should be working are on the forum!

 

[CountryMom]

Be thankful that none of your chickens were killed. I got home late a week ago and didn't have my chicken coop closed up (they free range during the day.) I went down to find piles of feathers. One young roo, one older hen and one young hen were missing. I never did find two of them, but the one young hen came back in the morning. She didn't make a week. That night however my dog did corner something under one of my outbuildings. After a lot of work she drug it out and it was one of the biggest opossums I had seen in a while. I quickly shot it. That is one animal I will not tolerate at our barns or house as we have horses and opossum droppings contain disease for them. Anyhow, we smelled what was left of the two chickens for a week under that building. YUK! No way to get them out either. I am real careful not to leave my chickens out if I am coming home late. So far no more opossums. However I do let my dog out a couple of times a night to just check things over.

Try to secure your pen a little more. And hope you don't have anymore critters around to do damage.