Baby Possum. What can it do?

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gmachicken

gmachicken

Songster
14 Years
Jan 18, 2010
113
22
239
Grants Pass, OR
I found a baby possum in my hens yard. They are locked up!
I went to scoot it out and it went out the gate but then just went under the Chain link fencing and back into the yard. I left it go as I just didn't have anything to catch it with and he may see well at night but I do not. :).

Suggestions. I really don't want it around but will my hens kill it if they find it?

I think it is about 6-8 inches less the tail.

So do I keep them in the coop until It can be found and put some place else?

Suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.
 
You don't want to place it somewhere else.
You would just be handing off your problem to someone else to deal with.

your best bet would be to secure your hen yard so nothing can get into the chickens.

next best.....set a trap for it and kill it when caught.
 
Catch it, tame it, and have yourself a new pet. lol Actually, they do very well in captivity if they are caught young.
 
If you are not squeamish, hit him with a shovel and throw him out with the garbage. You do not want him hanging out with your chickens. As soon as he gets big enough to attack, he will and then you will have dead chickens. Wild animals go by instinct - can't blame them for it - its just what they do.
 
Wow, possums in the states must be different to those here in Australia . We've lived here on the farm for 14 years , have had them coming and going , but never had them attack . I even watched a hen sit in the nest box with a possum( sleeping), and lay her egg. The worst they do here ,is steal any food left over once the chickens have gone to roost.
 
Possums are well known for playing possum. A broom, a leaf rake, almost any thing you can use to poke or prod a possum will make it play possum, meaning it will it sull up or play dead. Then you can pick up the possum by its prehensile tail and carry it anywhere you please. Possums have a short life span. The baby possum you saw this spring, will be a this winters grizzly old chicken thief.




Fancychocklady, to what address do you want me to send your complimentary possum?
 
Possums are horrible almost as bad as Racoons two weeks ago we lost 30 chickens plus a bunch of chicks within a 4 day span while DH was out of town. Had a momma and all her babies eaten in the span of a few hours. The following night I went out with a gun just in case and caught it in the act of going after another one of our girls. Eggs were scattered everywhere. I heard more chickens sounding the alarm further away where they nest under our walking wheel. I didn't check because thought it was just them upset from the commotion of me dealing with the possum but the following day found another huge dead possum on the road right in front the drive way and several more dead chickens from where I heard the commotion. When DH got back he counted and found that we lost 30. Possums will go after eggs and full grown which they sleep. Bad thing about chickens is once it is dark they will just sit there and let themselves be eaten. They only really get alarmed once they can see their surroundings. Also, I am a former wildlife rehabber and with possums it is difficult to relocate. They are like cats and will return to their home territory even moved several miles away. And like hawks once they know there is an easy food source they will come back night after night.
 

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