Possum attack at night, how do you keep them away?

[FatBurrito]

It started about a month ago. We free range our chickens and put them at around 6 or 7 pm. In the harsh cold nights, they preferred to stay near the backyard door (its like a porch) together on top of boxes we had so we let them for a few days. Then we heard one of them shout so I ran outside and a possum was staring straight at me and my chicken was running from it. The possum ran away and we locked the chickens back up into their coop. It's been like that every night from then, we let them out before the afternoon and lock them in at around 8 or 7. But tonight, my mother and I were busy and went to lock them in a bit later than usual (9). I went outside and they were all right at the door whimpering in distress. We found that one hen was not their along with the flock and I ran to the coop and found the possum eating an egg. It was dark and the hen, hidden, managed to stay safe. I shined a flashlight at the possum and it ran. After checking the whole area, we put them all back in and locked them up good. What can I do to prevent the possum from coming? And do they come in the day to attack or is it mostly at night? Thank you
I should also mention, a few years ago, sadly two of my precious chickens went missing and I assumed it was a hawk and took precautions to prevent it and the flock seems fine. Could it have actually been that possum?

 

[azygous]

Possums are looking for food day and night, and if they see your chickens, that's food opportunity to a possum. You can't prevent possums from coming around. All you can do is erect a barrier between the possum and the chickens so the chickens don't become food.

You've pretty much discovered that if you neglect to put the chickens behind a barrier, the possum or hawk or a dozen other predators will take advantage of your free meat market.

If the animal predators become really persistent and keep trying to get past whatever barrier you put up to protect your chickens, you could put up a hot wire with an electrical fence charger. Hot wire is a very effective way of "conditioning" wildlife to leave your chickens alone. The secret to "educating" them is to smear some peanut butter on the hot wire and when the animal tastes it with their nose or tongue, they get 10,000 volts on the wet, sensitive body part, and they will never, ever come back for a second lesson.

 

[micstrachan]

I want hot wire!

 

[FatBurrito]

Possums are looking for food day and night, and if they see your chickens, that's food opportunity to a possum. You can't prevent possums from coming around. All you can do is erect a barrier between the possum and the chickens so the chickens don't become food.

You've pretty much discovered that if you neglect to put the chickens behind a barrier, the possum or hawk or a dozen other predators will take advantage of your free meat market.

If the animal predators become really persistent and keep trying to get past whatever barrier you put up to protect your chickens, you could put up a hot wire with an electrical fence charger. Hot wire is a very effective way of "conditioning" wildlife to leave your chickens alone. The secret to "educating" them is to smear some peanut butter on the hot wire and when the animal tastes it with their nose or tongue, they get 10,000 volts on the wet, sensitive body part, and they will never, ever come back for a second lesson.

Thanks for the advice
Hot wire around the coop right? I'll look into it
However, we do free range our chickens from morning to around 7 pm at night. What would be effective then? The chickens can get electrocuted from the hot wire as well correct? Should we stop free ranging our chickens altogether?

 

[azygous]

Chickens have a much better chance at evading predators while free ranging than when they are asleep on a roost at night. No, a chicken will not be electrocuted by the hot wire as long as they aren't making contact with a grounded metal surface and the hot wire at the same time. Keeping the wire at a proper distance from the coop or metal surface of a fence with insulators will help. And a fence charge is a pulsating current not like the alternating current in your house or direct current of a 12 volt car battery. It is designed not to kill, the current being interrupted as it flows so anyone touching it can pull away from it. If a chicken touches it, they won't do it again, but it won't kill them. If you touch it, it will be very unpleasant, and unlike your chicken, you will probably forget and do it again.

 

[Howard E]

How to prevent predator losses at night?

When the birds go to roost and the pop door is closed for the night, nothing......not anything short of a field mouse.....can get to them. The shelter they go to at night is Fort Knox. If a possum can get in, you have not done your job.

Look all you want buster, you don't get any.



But as for that coop, if they are allowed to free range and when evening comes and they don't go there, likely as not, they don't like it. Meaning they prefer to find their own place vs. what you have provided for them. If that is the case, likely as not, what you have provided for them is unsuitable. To hot, too cold, perhaps not enough ventilation or none at all......whatever.....not to their liking and they are voting with their feet.

If that is the case, take a long hard look at what you have provided as their shelter. If they don't want to use it and a possum can get in if they do, what you have provided for them may need to be changed?

edited: If the coop is tight and the possum got there before you did to lock em up.....that is an easier fix.......don't be late. Adopt Omega Man rules.

 

[FatBurrito]

How to prevent predator losses at night?

When the birds go to roost and the pop door is closed for the night, nothing......not anything short of a field mouse.....can get to them. The shelter they go to at night is Fort Knox. If a possum can get in, you have not done your job.

Look all you want buster, you don't get any.

View attachment 1261445

But as for that coop, if they are allowed to free range and when evening comes and they don't go there, likely as not, they don't like it. Meaning they prefer to find their own place vs. what you have provided for them. If that is the case, likely as not, what you have provided for them is unsuitable. To hot, too cold, perhaps not enough ventilation or none at all......whatever.....not to their liking and they are voting with their feet.

If that is the case, take a long hard look at what you have provided as their shelter. If they don't want to use it and a possum can get in if they do, what you have provided for them may need to be changed?

edited: If the coop is tight and the possum got there before you did to lock em up.....that is an easier fix.......don't be late. Adopt Omega Man rules.

The possum has found them before when we used to free range all day. Ever since, we've locked them up at night and the possum hasn't managed to get in since. It got in before we locked them up so just lock them up earlier then?

 

[azygous]

Sounds like you need to clean your gun and go possum hunting.

 

[GC-Raptor]

It got in before we locked them up so just lock them up earlier then?

I set an alarm on my phone to sound 20 minutes after sunset daily. Reset weekly to allow for the changing sunset. I take a headcount, check feeder and waterer, check for eggs, turnoff the nightlight, empty under coop waterer and lockup the coop.
I haven't lost a chicken in the 21 months they've been in the coop. GC

 

[jvls1942]

i use dogs. see photo at left of Maremma and one of her nine pups.
she and her mate keep everything away.
and i do mean everything up to and including wolves and bears..