Possums are Chicken Killers

[herefordlovinglady]

I was doing really good for awhile catching the correct animal in my trap -- coons and possums -- well the last couple of times i have set it I get wild cats and the following:

needless to say, i have to trip the trap every morning before i go to work and reset it at bedtime. that does not stop me from getting the wild cats.

i have caught lots of possum and coon in my trap. I have lost too many birds to both and since i put up the niteguards and set traps, i have not lost one.

 

[welasharon]

Ah haha! That is the cutest little puppy!

 

[Baymule]

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Ghetto Chicken, I have 2 words for you : hardware cloth. I live 4 blocks from city hall and have possums too. My coop is wrapped in hardware cloth, even going 2 feet out from the bottom in the grass. I lurked here for 3 months before I started on my coop. Read and learn what you need to do to protect your girls. If you have a run, make sure that is covered with hardware cloth as well. Chicken wire is useless, don't know why they even make the stuff. good luck with your girls.

 

[Scoot58]

herefordlovinglady,

What are the night guards you installed? We had a opossum on our back patio last night. We have a trap but would like to do anything to avoid losing one of my girls. Still been very lucky living w/ woods and cranberry bogs in our backyard, haven't lost 1 yet!

Thanks

 

[GardenerGal]

Hardware cloth with the smaller openings is what I use anywhere I don't want varmints getting in. It is the heaviest of the agriculture-quality wire meshes, and even a coyote can't get through if you install it correctly (big, strong "U" nails holding it to solid timbers).

Couple winters ago I had a baby opossum living in the poultry barn. It was small when it straggled in one night; I tried to nab it but it got into a spot I couldn't reach, then successfully managed to hide almost all winter, until it was too big to squeeze into the hidey hole. One day I found it napping in a sack of loose hay!

It never harmed any of my birds. It just helped itself to their feed. Never even ate any of the eggs. So, I didn't hurt it, just let it go on a warm day and it waddled into the woods where there are plenty of hollow logs, grubs and other things opossums should be eating.

 

[GardenerGal]

LOL at those hysterical photos.

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[ChickenMatt]

I woke up early this morning to hear my chickens in terror. In my boxer shorts and tank top, I went outside and saw 3 huge possums trying to get my chickens so I grabbed my trusty spade shovel and started whacking away. I felt somewhat like the guy from slingblade or a zombie film survivor. Possums 0, Me 3.

After killing them all, i noticed one had movement in its stomach's sac - there were 9 more babies, which i abruptly gave a post birth abortion. Not proud of it, but its them or my chickens and nothing will get to them if i have anything to do about it.

 

[Garilyn Bardash]

We are in the process of building our chicken tractor and getting pullets in. We have tons of opossums here in south Louisiana. My dogs kill whole families at a time. I'm worried that they will get to my chickens. I read that they will go thru chicken wire. I also have to worry about very large snakes. Before I wire in the coop, I need to know what would keep the predators out. Thanks for any advice! GB

 

[Phyrst]

We are in the process of building our chicken tractor and getting pullets in. We have tons of opossums here in south Louisiana. My dogs kill whole families at a time. I'm worried that they will get to my chickens. I read that they will go thru chicken wire. I also have to worry about very large snakes. Before I wire in the coop, I need to know what would keep the predators out. Thanks for any advice! GB

GB, if you've read this far you know there are pages and pages of advice here about chickens and keeping them safe. My advice is to start reading everything! Good luck!

 

[centrarchid]

Garylin Bardash,

Use a more capable predator such as racoon or domestic dog to develop your design criteria. Oppossums are too easy to beat and beating them will not neccessarily protect birds from the more serious players.