opossums are they a threat??

[ChickenDogDuck]

ps. Don't make it mad!

 

[pondguy2004]

Found a opposum, in the chicken house, years ago, eating the intestines of a still live chicken! A grain (black powder) of prevention will save you from that sight!! Tim

 

[Boyd]

well I want to point out the relocating is illegal almost everywhere..... Your comment about being mid evil was a little insulting, but true. When you are pitting yourself against a predator that will rob you of all your livestock if given the chance....... well if it were me, I wouldn't be sitting around the campfire with a coon holding one hand and a possum on the other singing cumbuya

Wish ya'll lived a little closer, I'd let you come over and take care of the coons and possums still stuck in the traps for me. It'd save me about 10$ worth of shells a year

 

[Emzyyy]

Quote:
My hedgehog is one of the closest realitives to the opossum LOL they don't look alot alike but she can be sweet and "not so sweet".

 

[The Zoo]

I've had opossums and raccoons wandering my yard and have never had any problems with them going after my chickens. Of course my girls are locked up at night in a very secure pen/coop so it's probably not worth their trouble. Neither opossums or raccoons are diurnal (daylight hunters) so just make sure things are locked up well at night and you should be fine.

http://www.opossum.org/facts.htm

http://www.projectwildlife.org/living-raccoons.htm

 

[bluey]

Raccoons are known to hunt in the daylight at times after winter or while the female is caring for babies. Saying that raccoons don't hunt at all in the daytime just isn't true. Any animal hungry enough will hunt at any time.

 

[crazy cat lady]

I know they hunt in the daylight hours. That's how I lost the first 7 ducks I ever h ad and then half of my RIR hens last year. I've already lost one RIR this year and my girls aren't very happy cmpers not being able to go outside and scratch around unless I'm outside watching over them.
Yes, they do hunt during the daylight hours.

 

[sunket77]

Well thanks everyone for the advise, it seems like everything else on the board opinions vary a lot. Which is good to get plenty of possible options. I raised a baby opossum once by hand so I learned a lot about them as I do with every animal. And no they don't carry rabies. I don't own a gun so shooting isn't an option, not that I don't think I need one but I have only been living in the country for 6 mo. and I am coming to realize we probably need more than a bb. My girls are not free range but I am still working on fool proof predator prevention. Also I have outdoor cats so trapping is not an option either. So I am going to have to figure something out although the opossum is well fed between cat food ad the compost pile. I am planning on getting a dog (well pup to start) as another measure of protection. Thanks again!

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

Quote:
i would have anyways, now ull have 4 more running around. I trapped one with 12 in her pouch. I saw it as killing 13 birds with one stone!!

 

[chris706]

Definitely dispose of the opossum.. I had one that would get into the chicken pen and kill the little chicks just to lick up the blood.. it didn't really take the body though