Possum in the coop tonight.

[70monte]

My fiancee and I were at a going away party for one of our co-workers who was transferring out of state when we got a call from her mom telling us that a possum had been in the coop when she went to shut the coop up for the night. She said that she didn't see any of the chickens and had chased the possum out and he had gone under the shed that is next to the coop. We left the party and she calls saying the chickens were in the coop up on the roosts. It was dark and she didn't open the big door so she thought the chickens were not in there.

When I got home, I got the flashlight and looked under the shed and there was the possum. I went in and loaded my Ruger 22/45 pistol and took care of the possum. We had left the door to the coop yard open as well as the pop door to the coop before we left since it was still light out. Since my fiancee raises dogs and their pens are right next to the coop and run, we have not had any predators come into the backyard. This was the first time we were aware of.

We got lucky that her mom came out when she did and saw the possum before he could do some damage. I'm assuming that possums can climb and that he would have been able to get up to the top roosts which are about three feet off of the floor. I'm feeling pretty lucky right now.

Wayne

 

[DoverChickens]

I feel your pain!! I just posted a new thread before I read yours!!

Went to let the girls out this morning and found a possum tangled up in the deer neeting I have set up in their extended pen. It ruined a 10 foot section by twisting around and around. I thought I had dispatched it, but it must have played possum . I didnt have time to untangle it at the time so the girls had to stay in the secure run for the day (boy were they mad). My wife called me later and told me that she went out to check on them because they were sounding the distress call and that there was a live possum tangled in the netting. She covered it up with a bucket and they calmed down.

 

[70monte]

The possum initially got through the orange plastic netting we are using to extend their dog kennel pen. We didn't secure the kennel door before we left. It won't happen again.

Wayne

 

[70monte]

Last night the dogs were barking quite a bit. I went outside and next to the shed where I killed the possum the other night, was another possum sniffing the air in the direction of the coop. Went back in to get the gun and when I came out he was gone. I looked under the shed and there he was. Needless to say, another possum went the way of the first one. I'm wondering how many more are coming this way. We never had a problem with possums before.

Wayne

 

[Dead Rabbit]

oppossums dont normally tackle full grown chickens. but will wreck havoc on eggs, and young fowl. he was probably tryin to steal some feed that was in the pen....possums come in waves. you can kill quite a few till they are erradicated, than a few months later, a new batch move in. vicious circle.

one summer i killed 11 opossums in just the summer months.