Opossums have figure out how to open the doors...

[ChickenTenderNOLA]

We have a small coop and a large run. At night we put them to bed in the coop and close the exterior doors and then the inside slide door, which doesn't have a latch. I started to notice in the morning when I let them out that the door was open - with nothing happening. This only happened twice, the girls and the rooster got out no issues. Tonight though - I lost one bird and managed to chase it off another one of my girls - of course, my FAVORITE. She seems okay, a little tired, there was some blood on her feathers, but I can't see any injuries. I have her inside in a pet carrier just in case. These nasty buggers have just torn up everything. They are large, and obviously not as dumb as everyone thinks if they can open two sets of doors. Plus they weren't scared - I was in the rain, waving an umbrella at them - because of course, it's a cold front tonight with a chance of hail and tornados - and it just sat there and hissed. I'm in the middle of the city but in a more rural area on the Mississippi Rivera- so shotguns and fun things like that are out but predators from the batture are a constant. If it's not opossums, its raccoons, coyotes and I think from the scat we might have a fox or two. Never caught one on camera. I'm about to give up on being a chicken tender - I can't take the heartache. I really get attached to my girls. This, of course, happened when my husband is out of the country. We were going to build them a bigger pen out of chain link, the plantation across the river from us had theirs in a large pen like this, with high nesting and a tin roof and they said they had no issues. I just think they'll figure out how to get in there as well.

 

[DobieLover]

We have a small coop and a large run. At night we put them to bed in the coop and close the exterior doors and then the inside slide door, which doesn't have a latch. I started to notice in the morning when I let them out that the door was open - with nothing happening. This only happened twice, the girls and the rooster got out no issues. Tonight though - I lost one bird and managed to chase it off another one of my girls - of course, my FAVORITE. She seems okay, a little tired, there was some blood on her feathers, but I can't see any injuries. I have her inside in a pet carrier just in case. These nasty buggers have just torn up everything. They are large, and obviously not as dumb as everyone thinks if they can open two sets of doors. Plus they weren't scared - I was in the rain, waving an umbrella at them - because of course, it's a cold front tonight with a chance of hail and tornados - and it just sat there and hissed. I'm in the middle of the city but in a more rural area on the Mississippi Rivera- so shotguns and fun things like that are out but predators from the batture are a constant. If it's not opossums, its raccoons, coyotes and I think from the scat we might have a fox or two. Never caught one on camera. I'm about to give up on being a chicken tender - I can't take the heartache. I really get attached to my girls. This, of course, happened when my husband is out of the country. We were going to build them a bigger pen out of chain link, the plantation across the river from us had theirs in a large pen like this, with high nesting and a tin roof and they said they had no issues. I just think they'll figure out how to get in there as well.

Build something truly predator proof. Put a solid roof on the run and enclose it with 1/2" hardware cloth. Put hasps with carabiners on to secure the doors closed. Install a 2' wide predator apron around the base so nothing can dig in. I have all that enclosed in an electrified poultry netting fence. Nothing gets in.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hoping you made it through the storms.

I agree with making your set up VERY predator resistant.
DobieLover gave really good tips on doing that.

Pics of your set up might help us to help you get things secured.

 

[glassdragonfly]

Sorry for your loss! We have opossums here but they never go after the chickens,eggs yes but not live birds. I understand your heartache,it's always hard to loose one.

 

[2hotchicks]

We have a small coop and a large run. At night we put them to bed in the coop and close the exterior doors and then the inside slide door, which doesn't have a latch. I started to notice in the morning when I let them out that the door was open - with nothing happening. This only happened twice, the girls and the rooster got out no issues. Tonight though - I lost one bird and managed to chase it off another one of my girls - of course, my FAVORITE. She seems okay, a little tired, there was some blood on her feathers, but I can't see any injuries. I have her inside in a pet carrier just in case. These nasty buggers have just torn up everything. They are large, and obviously not as dumb as everyone thinks if they can open two sets of doors. Plus they weren't scared - I was in the rain, waving an umbrella at them - because of course, it's a cold front tonight with a chance of hail and tornados - and it just sat there and hissed. I'm in the middle of the city but in a more rural area on the Mississippi Rivera- so shotguns and fun things like that are out but predators from the batture are a constant. If it's not opossums, its raccoons, coyotes and I think from the scat we might have a fox or two. Never caught one on camera. I'm about to give up on being a chicken tender - I can't take the heartache. I really get attached to my girls. This, of course, happened when my husband is out of the country. We were going to build them a bigger pen out of chain link, the plantation across the river from us had theirs in a large pen like this, with high nesting and a tin roof and they said they had no issues. I just think they'll figure out how to get in there as well.

I also live in a city with a rural environment. My dogs are a big help with the opossums & have killed several. My coop & run are tight, hardware cloth, wood roof, perimeter apron to prevent digging into the run. Unfortunately, once opossums find a food source they'll keep returning.

 

[Mimi13]

I am sorry for your bird loss, but thankful you were not harmed by the bad weather. And, of course, it was perfect timing for all this to happen and your DH be gone.

Just make sure all the little nooks and crannies are sealed to keep out snakes, rats and weasels. Then, as mentioned above, make sure to have the apron laid down around around the entire perimeter. (Varmints will undoubtedly find that last 6” section left open where you ran out of wire.) Lastly, and probably the most aggravation of all, but assuredly your BEST protection and defense is electricity, be it hot tinsel stands or a poultry net. I say aggravation because you will always be turning it on, turning it off, and then remembering to turn it back on.

But hopefully you are much younger than me and don’t have these memory problems . Case in point, just last night I woke wide awake remembering I did not close the end run door, which I usually don’t open in colder weather. But yesterday it got up into the 70’s (ahead of the upcoming storm) and I opened it as I was doing yard work for a good draft in the run. So, in my jammies I marched to the run and closed the door.

Best of luck in beating the predators. Don’t let them knock you out of doing something you love. You could even set a trap and then club it to death since you can’t use firearms. Just kidding. Take a joy ride with it far, far from home.

 

[2hotchicks]

I am sorry for your bird loss, but thankful you were not harmed by the bad weather. And, of course, it was perfect timing for all this to happen and your DH be gone.

Just make sure all the little nooks and crannies are sealed to keep out snakes, rats and weasels. Then, as mentioned above, make sure to have the apron laid down around around the entire perimeter. (Varmints will undoubtedly find that last 6” section left open where you ran out of wire.) Lastly, and probably the most aggravation of all, but assuredly your BEST protection and defense is electricity, be it hot tinsel stands or a poultry net. I say aggravation because you will always be turning it on, turning it off, and then remembering to turn it back on.

But hopefully you are much younger than me and don’t have these memory problems . Case in point, just last night I woke wide awake remembering I did not close the end run door, which I usually don’t open in colder weather. But yesterday it got up into the 70’s (ahead of the upcoming storm) and I opened it as I was doing yard work for a good draft in the run. So, in my jammies I marched to the run and closed the door.

Best of luck in beating the predators. Don’t let them knock you out of doing something you love. You could even set a trap and then club it to death since you can’t use firearms. Just kidding. Take a joy ride with it far, far from home.

Old city lady here. What is a hot tinsel stand?

 

[Folly's place]

Trap and shoot, or don't trap. you can have a pest control company come and eliminate trapped critters, or drive them to a legal location for that fatal bullet. Releasing them is illegal most places, for good reasons.
Many of us have learned the hard way that our chicken housing was inadequate, and had to rebuild/ reinforce/ and redo everything. It's best to start with Ft. Knox, but that's where we end up, if we want our birds to have lives.
Mary

 

[Mimi13]

Old city lady here. What is a hot tinsel stand?

Dang it, I’m sorry! I didn’t proof read very well. A hot tinsel STRAND. It’s just single wires placed at varying heights (based on the predators) and hooked to “the juice.” It will light them up like a Christmas tree. Only one visit and they’re done.

 

[Mimi13]

It’s amazing the instinct God gave all his critters to be able to find food...which is fine, as long as it’s not my chickens!