possums

[KellynMikes]

We had our first encounter with a possum in our coop. We came home from a part Saturday night and just before heading to bed my wife said, "I think something is wrong with the chickens." I ran outside to find 2 of them roaming the yard and squaking like crazy. I couldn't find our third one so I ran over to the coop, opened the nesting box lid and was startled to find a large possum in there with her! I shoo'd her (our chicken) out of the nesting box and locked up the coop with the possum in it. It climbed the fencing to the top rear corner and stayed as still as possible..... till I shot it.

I've since converted our shed to a shed/coop and moved their entire coop inside of it. Our birds used to sleep in their nesting boxes, but now it seems they like the floor of the shed. Is it possible that they are spooked of their normal bedding place? Should I pick them up and place them back inside of it at night, or maybe they like laying on the floor?

 

[mrpekinduck]

Yes be very careful of opossums they can and will attack and maul chickens and steal eggs, they are mostly nocturnal so you need a secure night time coop.

 

[Imprfctme]

Darkmatter, love the photos! Here's a link to my game camera video of what moved in under the coop:

Night time coop visitors

Believe me, I am getting a full-on campaign to evict the possum started tomorrow! Still have a scar on my finger from 26yrs ago where one bit me, ugh. We have wire construction mesh on the bottom of the coop so they cant dig up but I am worried about the ventilation hole now.

 

[RHRanch]

I have never had a possum bother my chickens, but they like eggs and feed. Some here say that possums have killed their chickens, so I guess its possible. Personally I hav had problems with other animals (raccoon, bobcat,coyotes)

 

[blazensasha]

my husband had to shoot one not long ago in the coop came back after killing a roo the night before.

 

[kindir]

I have one that is stealing eggs every night. I caught him in the act and my chickens weren't even scared of him!! He was walking up the ramp to go back outside and there were no warnings from the chickens or the rooster.

I was wondering why not a single one of my 12 hens in that coop hadn't been laying - now I know why. I'm sure that a possum could easily kill a chicken if there was nothing else to eat, but in my experience they prefer to take the easy way out. as long as there is chicken feed and/or eggs available I don't feel the slightest concern that he will kill my chickens. As soon as that's not available to him, I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[mama24]

I lost 2 hens to ahawk and a raccoon this past week, but overall, I have had more lost to possums than anything else put together!

 

[cgmccary]

Everyone is correct here. Some opossums will attack your chickens and/ or eat your eggs BUT some opossums will not.

Opossums are voracious mice eaters, and some are hunting mice where mice like to be (around your coops). I have had them attack my chickens (and those I dispatch -- I've always caught them in the act & have only had chicks killed), and I have had other opossums not bother the chickens.

 

[Ole rooster]

I'm not going to "beg to differ", but I have had a possum kill two of my white rocks hen settin in a nest on the ground before I could kill kill the possum. Each chicken was settin on 12 eggs. Needless to say I got no chicks that year.

 

[ChickiKat]

We had three possums eating our chicken food, we did'nt want to take any chances so we let them eat some lead....