This morning there's a possum in my coop - Am I running a B&B?!

[robynt]

Yep, this is the skunk lady again... I noticed a strange-looking pile of what looks like poop in the coop, so I opened the lower access door, and there is a young possum staring back at me! Possum's are nocturnal like skunks, right? So I can hope it will be gone at nightfall and I can ... do what, exactly?? The chickens' entry to their pen has no door, since it only goes into their pen, which looks secure - I don't see any signs that an animal burrowed under the fence. I guess I have to put a door on their doorway?
4:22 - Here's a picture I just snapped with my son's phone:

 

[nnbreeder]

May sound strange but you can take a broom handle and poke at him till he gets good and agitated then the possum will pass out. Just pick it up with a shovel and take him away from the coop.

There has to be a hole someplace for him to have gotten in. They are good climbers too so search everywhere.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Just throw a towel over him and pick him up. No need to poke him!

 

[fordmommy]

Yes. They pass out when scared. Once you get him out, find the hole and patch it good.

Good luck!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

It does sound like you are running a B & B. Critters are liking your place to stick around and sleep.

I bet you're going out in the morning wondering what you're going to find today. Too funny

 

[saddina]

Opossums eat chickens, plan accordingly.

 

[detali]

So do ringtail cats. That's what I think it was from the footprints it left in my henyard. I think I gave it a heart attack though because I don't see any evidence that it has been back to bother my chickens. One lost hen was enough! I prepared a raw hamburger patty for him laced with plenty of ground up asprin. It was gone the next morning.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I came home one night to a possum napping on my kitchen counter.

Bad spot on the floor. Didn't know if I show yell at it- or die laughing- so I grabbed the camera. He?She did not like the camera flash! Got hissed at for the pic. I walked away and it went back to sleep just like it belonged there.

That wasn't acceptable, so I stuck a little cat food in a five gallon bucket for bait and left the bucket nearby to try to trap it in. I guess the Possum wasn't hungry, so I scooted the open end of the bucket up to its face and used the lid to shove it's butt end so it landed in the bucket with the lid in place.

I held the lid on, walked to a patch of trees and tossed the whole thing. Little possum landed and ran for the trees. The landlord finally fixed the floor- the next morning.

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
Where's the smiley line that says THIS POST IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS!!! ???

 

[cgmccary]

saddina:Opossums eat chickens, plan accordingly.

Yes they do. I have had 6 opossum attacks on my birds, none of the attacks fatal on the adult birds, but I had a hen wounded pretty bad once (but I have big hens). Opossums have taken chicks at night from my Bantam hen brooding them.

Not all opossums attack chickens and they do hunt & eat a lot of mice. I only shoot the ones that attack. The others, I trap and relocate (the ones that haven't yet attacked--). I try to get them relocated just in case they turn into a chicken attacker.

Dry cat-food in a have-a- heart trap with a little trail of food to the door of the trap increasing as it goes in the trap with the bounty on the foot pedal always nets the opossum. Canned cat-food is not as good cause they lick it through trap's wire without going into the trap . . . anyway, just my experience.

Beware the opossum can bring mites to your birds as well.​