possum in the coop!

[Chihuahuamom444]

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Omg that image of him bashing it with a shovel and her having babies is going to haunt me.....thank goodness my kid would refuse to do such an awful act........I had one in my chicken coop a month ago, I got him in a cage, drove him 10 miles away to a remote wooded area and away he went, it was a great feeling....to kill an animal in that way that is only trying to survive and feed her babies is Horrid...And Ive heard it all before, I love my chickens more and have the right to protect them, of course you do, But sometimes there is another way Out and it doesnt include bashing it to death.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Tell us the same thing when your 'possum comes back and kills your birds or worse when the 'possum you (in most states illeaglly relocated) goes after another persons flock.

Steve

 

[Chihuahuamom444]

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OK, ha.....there are more humane ways to kill an animal than bashing it over and over with a shovel....but maybe for some its enjoyable ....thankfully NOT for Us

 

[Chihuahuamom444]

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Oh and not in my state is it illegal, it was a suggestion from an animal warden....But Nice Try !

 

[Wild Trapper]

Let me put it this way! I will not turn a possum loose to kill and eat someone else's chickens. Got a saying for y'all, "Don't just keep knocking down the spider web, kill the spider"! If you've no guts to kill a predator, lock up your chickens at night, I do. It'll cut your losses almost to nothing. The possum that killed a hen was in me DIL's coop. I trapped and dispatched the possum the next night. This was after relocating her chickens into my coop. No more losses, because I shut mine in at night. Hawks may still get a hen once in a while, but even that can be prevented most of the time. Yes there are other ways to deal with losses due to possums than killing them.

 

[bluere11e]

I have a Basenji that loves to hunt things.. Catching is another story. One night, He was very agitated around the chicken and kept looking up into a large papaya tree. hiding among the leaves and fruit was a good sized opossum.. We scared her out of the tree and Gizmo nailed her. Shaking her every which way until babies were flying out, (that's how we knew it was a girl.. eventually). In a hurry, He dropped her and was gagging and foaming at the mouth. Wiping his mouth with his paws and drooling heavily.. We grabbed him and rinsed his mouth out. Apparently, they taste worse than they smell AND the durn thing was trying to get away.. (we thought she was dead, but was only playing "possum". We went back over to her and she froze and plopped over on her side.. With a booted foot, we propped her back upright and BOOM, over she went onto the other side, tongue hanging out for more dramatic effect.. Gizmo was NOT having any part of putting his mouth back on that walking dead, rotten, zombie animal. We brought out the 22 and dispatched her. I always feel bad, but my family comes first.
But, whoa, that's a heck of a defense that primitive animal has. Low body temp, rotten taste and smell and playing dead tactic,, It's sure helped it all of these years.
I don't like ANY predator, Racoons are THE worst..
But, Gizmo got his first "kill" that day and has regretted it since..

 

[Wild Trapper]

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One of the most disgusting things I've ever seen, was a live possum eating on a dead possum that had been hit in the road.

Did I mention, I hate possums?

 

[gavinandallison]

Oh my goodness I had my first one last week and FREAKED out - it was still daylight outside and I was sure it had rabies---- The dogs scared it away - I have had the gun loaded by the door ever since - if I get a clean shot I will take it , I love my hens

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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Oh and not in my state is it illegal, it was a suggestion from an animal warden....But Nice Try !

What state do you live in? I'm suprised your warden recommened it

Steve