Possum sighted in the chicken yard

[Playfulroost]

I saw a possum tonight under an old pallet house where my young pullets used to live. Something had been pulling their chicken feeder off its perch. Years ago I had several kills inside my old chicken coop where the predator has obviously eaten the chicken meal inside the coop. Until I saw the possum tonight and did research on it, I didn't know what predator I was facing.

Furthermore, the possum saw me (10:30 at night and I was wearing a headlamp) and didn't seem threatened or eager to move along. I was afraid to approach him. But I spoke to him gruffly and let him know he wasn't welcome. The possum slowly moved along, and just tried to hide in the shadows.

I had seen the possum poop in my yard, and had wondered about it since I don't have a dog and none are around my fenced half acre.

After going through a months worth of chicken feed in 20 days, I removed the feeder 3 days ago and left my birds a few handfuls of scratch on the ground, some boiled eggs with chopped shells and some other kitchen scraps.

One evening I found the quail cage overturned on the ground and one of my male quail was missing. It was a windy day and possibly the cage overturned by the wind, but now I suspect the possum.

I had previously seen a skunk in my yard and assumed that was the predator I was dealing with but now I see I have a different intruder. The attacks on the adult hens/roosters are irregular. One night last winter a rooster had all his tail feathers pulled out but two, the feathers were behind the coop but he was inside. He was fine, had apparently fought off the attacker and protected his hens. That was about two years ago.

I plan to call Wildlife Management tomorrow and see if they can trap it. My pullets are in a small new house. I have lost two hens in the last month. No sign of their carcasses. I did lose one hen in October last year, the head, crop and breast and intestines were eaten.

I have been slow to get the wire run built on the new coop due to high winds.

All my chickens (30 remain) have been free range. After knowing there is a possum, I will finish building a wire run for the hens. I also don't have a closeable chicken door to the new house, so I will fix that tomorrow.

I am shocked after all this time to find out what my true predator is. Not the skunk, but a possum.

I might have seen it before in my yard. It is the same size and similar markings to my tortoise shell calico cat. I had to look again closely to see the long white snout. I live in the country but only 1/8 mile from town.

If anyone has had success in dealing with a possum, please let me know. Unfortunately my birds might not be able to free range anymore, at least until the possum is trapped.

 

[neo71665]

Shoot or trap about 10 a year around my coop. Bookoos more just trapping on my back 40. They trap pretty easily with sardines.

 

[Playfulroost]

Shoot or trap about 10 a year around my coop. Bookoos more just trapping on my back 40. They trap pretty easily with sardines.

Thanks for the swift reply. I didn't know we had possums in Eastern Colorado. I always thought they were in the Eastern US but apparently they are in all states except Hawaii.

 

[Geena]

The possum may or may not have been the problem all along. It could have almost any animal or even multiple different animals. Closing up the coop and removing the food at night will eliminate a whole lot of issues.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Unfortunately my birds might not be able to free range anymore, at least until the possum is trapped.

I would not worry too much about a possum very much as far as free ranging during the day. I did see one feeding at my compost pile in the middle of a bright sunny day so they can come out but they are mostly active at night. Dusk and dawn are high risk times. But they are slow so they don't pose that much of a threat during the day. Most losses are going to be when the chickens are in the dark and roosting. Still they might trap one in a corner.

I typically get more possum than raccoon when trapping and I get about 10 raccoon a year. I'm all in favor of trapping and shooting, I do it myself, but that will never totally solve the problem. It will eliminate a predator that is hunting your property but there can be more than one. And they are being born and weaned all the time and sent out to find their own territory. There is no risk of them becoming extinct. The best protection is a good barrier. That can be a good fence or using electricity. They can climb and dig so a roof and dig protection can be important.

I had something wrecking my Adirondack mouse trap and thought it was a raccoon so I set the trap. That night I caught a possum. The second night I caught another possum. The third night I caught a raccoon and the problem stopped. My point is that there can be more than one and it may not always be the animal you think it is.

You need a plan to eliminate it if you do catch one. Hopefully animal control will help you, they don't always but are a good first call. If they won't take it away what will you do? It is illegal almost everywhere to release it on anyone else's property without the owner's permission. That is one question for your animal control. In some jurisdictions killing them may be considered animal cruelty so be careful. And you need to dispose of the body. Personally I drown them which is considered animal cruelty in many jurisdictions and by many people and I have a spot far from human habitation I can dump the bodies and let the coyotes, flies, and the rest of mother nature take care of the problem. Not everybody has that.

If you need to trap it yourself let us know if you need help.

These predators are a problem. Good luck.

 

[Playfulroost]

I would not worry too much about a possum very much as far as free ranging during the day. I did see one feeding at my compost pile in the middle of a bright sunny day so they can come out but they are mostly active at night. Dusk and dawn are high risk times. But they are slow so they don't pose that much of a threat during the day. Most losses are going to be when the chickens are in the dark and roosting. Still they might trap one in a corner.

I typically get more possum than raccoon when trapping and I get about 10 raccoon a year. I'm all in favor of trapping and shooting, I do it myself, but that will never totally solve the problem. It will eliminate a predator that is hunting your property but there can be more than one. And they are being born and weaned all the time and sent out to find their own territory. There is no risk of them becoming extinct. The best protection is a good barrier. That can be a good fence or using electricity. They can climb and dig so a roof and dig protection can be important.

I had something wrecking my Adirondack mouse trap and thought it was a raccoon so I set the trap. That night I caught a possum. The second night I caught another possum. The third night I caught a raccoon and the problem stopped. My point is that there can be more than one and it may not always be the animal you think it is.

You need a plan to eliminate it if you do catch one. Hopefully animal control will help you, they don't always but are a good first call. If they won't take it away what will you do? It is illegal almost everywhere to release it on anyone else's property without the owner's permission. That is one question for your animal control. In some jurisdictions killing them may be considered animal cruelty so be careful. And you need to dispose of the body. Personally I drown them which is considered animal cruelty in many jurisdictions and by many people and I have a spot far from human habitation I can dump the bodies and let the coyotes, flies, and the rest of mother nature take care of the problem. Not everybody has that.

If you need to trap it yourself let us know if you need help.

These predators are a problem. Good luck.

Thanks for your kind and helpful post. I have a call in to Animal Control. I have had to call in past years regarding rattlesnakes and an injured owl inside my chicken coop, which they caught and removed 30 miles away. As for the rattlesnakes, it's illegal to kill one unless it's inside my chicken area trying to steal eggs. In that case I was told it was legal to kill it. So far the legislation here in Colorado has been very positive, we are allowed to protect our chickens and eggs. I appreciate all the information you are giving me. This issue seems to be complex.
I am housing quail near my chickens. I am raising them for the eggs to help combat my allergies, plus I love the meat. I had heard that they would bring out every predator, and I think I am experiencing that. I don't shoot a gun because I have a moment disorder.As for disposal, my local dump has an animal disposal repository where I assume they burn the animals. Good feedback on trapping multiple animals, thanks.

 

[Playfulroost]

The possum may or may not have been the problem all along. It could have almost any animal or even multiple different animals. Closing up the coop and removing the food at night will eliminate a whole lot of issues.

I agree, removing food at night and closing up the coop are key. It is apparently also attracted to their water. It is very dry here and I try to leave water outside for my chickens at all times. I may try to remove the water at night or only have it available in locked up areas.

 

[Playfulroost]

An update on one of my missing hens. It is spring, and I know there's a possibility that they went broody since they are all free range. This happens sometimes and they suddenly show up a month later. Sure enough, I saw one of my Easter eggers heading for the neighbors fence instead of the coop. I followed, caught her, but she wriggled loose. That's when I saw her clutch of 10 blue green eggs. She was crossed with a Rhode Island Red roo because both my Easter egger males were so mean and rough the hens were constantly screaming. I had not planned on raising more chicks this year but I do use my birds for meat as well as eggs. I will enclose part of the quail pen that's currently under construction and put her in there where she and the chicks will be safe. I love my Easter eggers I bought last spring. They are the tamest birds I have, come right up to me and want to be petted and don't mind being picked up. It will be interesting to see what this cross looks like. Problem is I can't get the pen fixed up tonight. There's no food left out. She is a smart bird! Her nest is under a piece of bent sheet metal that snagged on the North fence after being blown lose by the wind. It will protect her from rain and snow. She can get out but there is some old scrap fencing on both sides that helps enclose the area. I am thinking I need to enclose her with a half circle fence until I can get her and her clutch moved. I was grateful to find her alive!