Possum close by

[rooster-red]

Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn :

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Yowzers!!! I'm not that brave when it comes to animals I don't know well. I'd say our guy is smaller than the one in your top left picture. He's little but he won't be for long. I just hope Mama and siblings aren't here too.

My neighbor does tend to keep cat food out for the strays (hence, our completely covered run).

Didn't mean to sugguest you go out and catch them by hand, you have to be very quick to do that, but I meant if you trap and release them they usually won't come back.

If they are eating the neighbors cat food, hopefully they'll never be starving enough to try to get to your chickens.

Its worked for me for the last few years.​

 

[kees]

You can buy a Havaheart trap (they come in different sizes) and tie a chicken leg down with wire in the middle of the trap or a fresh fish down. They will definitely be interested. I've put in fish and found only a couple of scales left in the morning. But be careful, they can be very ornery and it's best to relocate them far away from where you live.

 

[Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn]

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We are on the list to receive a Havaheart trap on Monday from the local humane society.

 

[Davaroo]

.22LR w/ hollowpoints.

Relocating only means you have irresponsibly moved YOUR problem to someone else.

 

[Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn]

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Not really. My husband could kill him but why do that when we have woods a mile up the road surrounding a small airport.

 

[Davaroo]

Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn :

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Not really. My husband could kill him but why do that when we have woods a mile up the road surrounding a small airport.

As you wish...​

 

[keljonma]

Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn :

This afternoon, we were looking out our homeschool classroom and saw a young possum stick his head out from under some decking. I think he's the one that dug a small hole on the other end a couple nights ago. I'm guessing that he's taken up residence here. The only problems is that it's about 60 ft from my coop/run.

The good news is that my 3 hens are completely enclosed. The bad news is that it is only 1" hexagon mesh. (sorry, I can't remember the gauge wire)
Can a possum get through that? What's the best way to catch a possum w/o a gun? We're in a residential area where guns are not permitted to be fired. I know, I know...... how will they know a gun from a firework, but I want to do this legally.

TIA

1" hexagon mesh (aka chicken wire) keeps your birds in. It does not keep a determined predator out. Have you ever seen a bird after a racoon has pulled it's head through the fence? It is not a pretty picture. A weasel or snake could also get into your enclosure. Sorry to be blunt here, I just had a friend lose some birds to predators. She wanted to save money, so used chicken wire instead of 1/2" hardware cloth on the lower half of her pen.​

 

[Small Town Girl]

The key to dealing with possums is just to remember that they are DUMB!!!! I mean really, really, really, really, really, really, really dumb. They make chickens look like rocket scientists. And I speak from personal experience, having raised a number of orphan possums as a kid. (Hey, just 'cause they're dumb doesn't mean they aren't kinda cute.)
Anyway, find a live trap, bait it with something stinky (like wet cat food) and when the little booger gets caught in it (and he will; remember - DUMB), take him down a mile down the road to the woods. He will never, ever find his way back to your house. Dumb. Seriously.

 

[dogzrule5]

Rooster-Red you are crazy!!!

I've never heard of anybody catching a possum bare handed like that. I don't care how dumb they are, their teeth scare me to death! But I always feel sorry when I see them dead on the road....even though they can harm the chickens. I'm just a sap when it comes to most animals.

 

[rooster-red]

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You'll notice in the pics I have a very firm hold on their necks just behind the jaw, Alway be wary of those teeth, I've never been bitten and never want to be.


A tip for trapping a possum:
Place the trap close to a wall, they tend to like to follow close to walls.