R.I.P. Gerri & Hannah :( Could a possum do this??

[Bizzybirdy]

A possum killed 10 of my 16 three month old chicks in a pen the second night they were out, climbed a 4ft. dog fence and just ripped them to pieces...they weren't even old enough to have much meat on them. Sooo sad.

THAT possum has been permanently REMOVED from this area, from any area in fact.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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Sorry about your loss

Thanks for the info though. A fox got 8 of my birds 2 years ago, so I guess I just assumed it may be the fox. I am going to set a trap tomorrow and see what we find. I will REMOVE him too

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I was wondering if a possum could have done this??

Sounds more like a coon to me.​

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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Sounds more like a coon to me.

It could be a coon too. We have all sorts of predators here.. I just found it strange that a possum (haven't seen one in my yard) was there last night. I know certain predators kill their prey differently, but I don't think there was a choice in how they were killed as they were pulled through (partially) the 3 inch hole in the chain link fence. The chickens usually go and sleep in the large coop at night, I leave their door open on the coop to the secure pen so they can go out early enough. I may just lock them up at night in the coop itself. I haven't had a problem in 2 years and they have some freedom to go in and out as they please. Maybe its not such a great idea

 

[ecopepper]

Oh I feel your pain. I am nursing my RIR back to health right now from a Sunday night possum attack. I went out to see what the noise was and opened the coop up to feathers everywhere and 2 hens tumbled out. I looked in and saw a large possum. My 12 DD caught one hen and started to scream. The hens throat had been attacked and food was coming outta the crop. I am so sorry about your loss. We are on the good side of healling I hope. She is having surgery next week and we have to flush out the crop and give her shots 2 times a day! If you want to see the wounds to compair I can send you a picture. Just PM me. Robin

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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Wow... soooo sorry. Its so hard to walk in on that, I hope for a fast recovery for your wounded girl

Thanks for offering pics of the wounds, but it would be hard to compare to mine. They were beheaded through the fence and they were twisted into the chainlink, not the easiest to get them out as they stiffened that way

I guess whatever tried to pull them through couldn't fit thier bodies through and just went with the heads. Soooo sooo sad.

 

[cowdogcadillac]

Pulled them thru a chain link fence??? Raccoon- Standard operating procedure.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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Yup... "THRU" the chainlink fence..

It was only a 1 foot area that didn't have the chicken wire over the chain link. I found a head 1 ft from the fence

 

[mmaddie's mom]

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True, unfortunately.

So, so sorry.

As someone said, "the year of the predator"... yes... have lost my Main Roo and 3 of my favorite hens in the last 3 weeks.

 

[Lbrad7]

They were beautiful birds..sorry for your loss. I am betting it was a coon. Electric fence or not, I would set a trap to catch and dispatch it.