Possums- Will they EVER leave me ALONE?!?!

[missourichickenmama]

When it was my birthday and I went to close up the coop, a possum cornered me. Screaming and yelling, I was trapped. I thought it was going to attack me any second, and I had nothing but a flash light to defend myself. I knew I could not throw the flash light at it, because then I would be at a disadvantage when it attacks me, as it probably has better night vision than me. Luckily, it did not attack. I finally got mad at it and started yelling at it, so it hid under the nest boxes. I got dad, dad got a gun, and needless to say, the possum is no more. I like EVERY other animal, including snakes and spiders, but I HATE possums.

Now yet ANOTHER possum has taken it's place. On the night before thanksgiving, I went to the coop and thought I heard something. I suddenly had a bad feeling about the chicken coop area and turned back to get dad, as there is a skunk that comes around occasionally. Then I saw that it was a possum. I then became very, very, mad and calling it a 'Stinky dirty rotton possum' and telling it to 'SKAT! SCAT! THIS IS MY COOP!'

It, of course, then turned tail and ran.

Now I think it came back AGAIN- I had the same bad feeling and heard rustling in the grass, rustling that the wind was not making.

Did I mention that I Hate possums?

 

[chicks4kids]

It seems you've been pretty lucky up to this point in scaring them away. Sounds like you need to build a trap!! At least for peace of mind while you're sleeping--those night predators can stay up way later than you and I!

My DH built me a trap and it provides so much relief! Good luck and keep your chickens locked up tight!

 

[ranchhand]

Any time you get one possum/raccoon etc. out, another is going to move in. It's scary dealing with them at night sometimes, but that's why you build a run and coop that they cannot get into! Make it extra tight, so snakes and rats can't get in either. I speak from experience, having lost a bunch of hens to a raccoon or possum this summer.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Just get a trap and eat them over rice. You can serve mustard greens as a side dish. Feed your family and save your chickens all in one shot.

 

[ivan3]

They're not aggressive, as a rule, they just look like they have too many teeth. Agree with members recommending trapping (you can't get all preds by trapping, but it will sure decrease the overall frequency of predation). I suppose that cubing them, pressure cooking and canning is an option.

Unlike raccoons, it is pretty safe to shove opossums aside with a booted foot. It is always a good idea to check the coop before locking down the flock, opossums will sneak in and hang out on the rafters or behind feeders, etc. and come down/out to snack on your girls when it gets good and dark.

Look to your passive defenses and consider preemptive removal:

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

We are always going to have preditors after our chickens. Our job is to provide a preditor proof coop and run so they don't get them.

Make sure your property isn't attracting preditors by leaving out garbage, spilled feed, compost, pet food, wild bird seed around feeders, etc.

If the preditors aren't getting any dinner at your place, hopefully they would move on to where they are far far away from your place.

 

[gsim]

Trap and repeat until you catch nothing more. Don't get rid of the trap then because they will eventually return/repopulate your area. You might as well get a big trap because you might get a few coons while you are at it. Skunks are worst to dispose of.

 

[Overeasyplz]

I had a pet possum when I was a kid. We named him Herman. He was probably the dumbest prehistoric creature I had ever known. He only lived two years. He got huge though. We never had a possum problem with the chickens, I think it was because of all the raccoons! A raccoon could probably kill a possum, although it would probably get a nasty bite. I'd say keep the trap set, they have a ton of babies at a time!

 

[gkeesling]

I used my live trap to get quite a few racoons and 'possums, an occasional stray cat, and one skunk before they finally stopped. My live trap has paid for itself many time over. I found it was easier to use the live trap, then dispatch them, rather than trying to catch them in steel traps before dispatching.

 

[bryan8]

Possums don't carry rabies either beacuse there blood temp is too low. So you don't really have to worrie when disposeing of them