Possums will hurt chickens, right?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

First we have a big time rat problem, which i am struggling to get under control. i've been putting out sticky traps and snap traps inside our back pen, and have caught 10 young rats - haven't caught mom yet. i moved the chickens out of there last week and that coop and pen are now a battle ground. Then between two of my front pens i've been setting up the rat zapper baited with peanut butter. Twice now i have looked out on dark early mornings to see a possum lurking around that area. Maybe he's attracted to the peanut butter? i just chased him off a minute ago. i've never had a possum try to get into one of our pens or coops. But i think i have read on this forum that they will kill chickens, if they can get to them. So i should get rid of him, right?

My first choice would be to relocate. i know that is a big no-no with a raccoon, as they can travel quite a distance. Is it the same for possums? How far would i need to take him to ensure he wouldn't come back, and would that be even wise? Don't want to inflict my problems on someone else. If we did trap and kill, we don't have a real gun, just one of those Daisy pellet rifles that you can pump up. We've killed rats with that, but nothing bigger. Has anyone used one of those successfully on something as big as a possum or raccoon?

(These are the charming issues i never even thought about when i first decided to get chickens five years ago.)

 

[SilkieBantams]

Possums are tough to kill so I'd shoot and kill them on their brain and dispose of them.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

do you have a pond? Drop trap and all in pond...no bloody mess...

 

[zengrrl]

Possums will def kill chickens as fast as any raccoon.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

We don't have a pond, but my husband can take the trap out back and shoot it there, so it doesn't make a big mess right off our patio. So, are possums as skillful with their hands as raccoons, for opening locks and such? Or would they try to chew or tear into a coop?

 

[wayne hulgan]

Quote:
They ain't as smart as a coon, but they will kill your chickens just as quick. I have found that a little lead poison works very well. We had one getting into the run and eating the chicken feed. after dispatching that one, we put the food up for a few days. just in case there was another.