Possum... yikes!

[chicknmania]

they're so adorable! They are strictly vegetarian?

 

[Ashburnham]

They eat leaves and fruit, but have been known to eat rats and mice.

 

[Farmer Brian]

Opposums are omnivores. They eat everything. I've caught them on fruit, sweet baits, meat. I caught two in a basement that were eating a dead skunk. They're not picky at all.
Of course I'm talking American opossums, haven't a clue what those adorable Aussie 'possums eat.

 

[Ashburnham]

The Brushtails arent so adorable - they can rip the hell out of you with those big claws,
but the little Ringtails are cute - I had one as a pet when I was a kid.

 

[NancyB22000]

My daughter went out around 6 tonight to bring some stuff to the compost bin, and she came running back in to tell us an animal was in the bin (which is about 6 or 7 feet away from our coop). DH took the dog out, and discovered an oppossum hanging out on the compost bin - sitting on top of one of the sides. The dog (a Husky) didn't scare it away, DH with his flashlight didn't scare it away, I went out with DH - this time I had the dog, he had a couple of pot lids he banged together like cymbals - still didn't go away. We shouted at it, threw sticks at it,and finally DH took the rubbery plastic bucket we use when we clean out the coop and banged it hard on the side of the compost bin where the possum was that he finally left. :/

They really don't get rabies? I ask this because DH (who got way closer than I did, too close!) said it was drooling. I thought maybe rabies, but maybe that was an expression of its fear? It was scared, but still standing its ground? I hope we discouraged him . . .

Our silly dog - Huskies love to talk and make all kinds of noise. Our girl seldom barks, and I have never heard her growl in the 5 1/2 years we've had her. Do you think she could make a scary noise at the possum? No - of course not! She was very interested in it, DH & I had to hold her back from getting it, but she never made a sound. I brought her out again for last call, and we re-visited the scene - she was still very interested, and kept looking at the spot where it had been sitting on the bin. She sniffed around, and wanted to venture into the woods after it, but I didn 't want to, so we didn't. We then walked around the coop - which we usually do anyway, to leave her scent, and for her to get used to the chickens' scent. I really hope we discouraged that silly oppossum. I don't wish him ill, but I don't want him to get my girls, either.

It's funny - I've lived around here most of my life, and I've only seen a live oppossum once before, when I was drving home at night. Mostly I see them dead on the road. I hope not to see any more of them - at least not in our yard!

NancyB

 

[grace112]

well if you could get its left side close enough to slip a long bladed knife in and aim right behind the left fore limb that will pierce the heart, liver or lung any of which will cause it to bleed to death pretty quick or if you would prefer a less gorey dispatching maybe a poison of some sort be a little hard getting it in him but you could try mixing it with cat food and covering the trap with natural foliage to make him comfortable enough to eat it or if you're in the city see if you can find a wildlife removal who will take him off you hands

just shooting out ideas