Posted: 10/27/2008 7:08:17 PM EDT
|
I went out tonight to check for any new eggs out of my 4 hens––no eggs, but there was a pretty big possum in the tree directly above the coop.
I know that raccoons and skunks will do a number on chickens––are possums any harm to chickens? This question will be for future info––I already dispatched of the possum. 2––.22 long subsonics did the work. |
|
Quoted:
I went out tonight to check for any new eggs out of my 4 hens––no eggs, but there was a pretty big possum in the tree directly above the coop. I know that raccoons and skunks will do a number on chickens––are possums any harm to chickens? This question will be for future info––I already dispatched of the possum. 2––.22 long subsonics did the work. possums will eat what they can. i suspect they would eventually eat some of your chickens |
|
Quoted:
Possums are too slow to be a threat to your birds but if they can get into the coop they will definitely eat the eggs! Not the possums we have - they love eggs, will eat chicks and shred full grown chickens. If you come across a chicken that looks like someone hacked it up with a machete - it was most likely a possum - Possums, Crows, Foxes, and Coyotes are the major killers of chickens and chicks. |
|
Some updated info:
I am in the city––this was only the 2nd time I have seen a possum in my yard. We do have a wooded lot across the street in the cul-de-sac and I do know of a sighting of a raccoon lately. The first shot on the possum was upward into the tree ~25ft high and I hit him somewhere in the neck. I figured this out by the blood drops that sounded like rain falling on the leaves. He stayed in the tree and eventually would have bled out, but I wanted it dead quickly. The second shot was to the head and he flopped to the ground, twitched and died. The wife said she could not hear the report of the .22 only the thud when the possum hit the ground. Back to the raccoon: There are 3 cats that roam freely (have not tried to mess w/ my ckns)––do you think that the cats would keep the coons at bay (keep them inside the woods/trees)? |
|
Quoted:
Some updated info: I am in the city––this was only the 2nd time I have seen a possum in my yard. We do have a wooded lot across the street in the cul-de-sac and I do know of a sighting of a raccoon lately. The first shot on the possum was upward into the tree ~25ft high and I hit him somewhere in the neck. I figured this out by the blood drops that sounded like rain falling on the leaves. He stayed in the tree and eventually would have bled out, but I wanted it dead quickly. The second shot was to the head and he flopped to the ground, twitched and died. The wife said she could not hear the report of the .22 only the thud when the possum hit the ground. Back to the raccoon: There are 3 cats that roam freely (have not tried to mess w/ my ckns)––do you think that the cats would keep the coons at bay (keep them inside the woods/trees)? A boar coon or even a motivated momma coon will make short work of your cats. They might keep juveniles away. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Some updated info: I am in the city––this was only the 2nd time I have seen a possum in my yard. We do have a wooded lot across the street in the cul-de-sac and I do know of a sighting of a raccoon lately. The first shot on the possum was upward into the tree ~25ft high and I hit him somewhere in the neck. I figured this out by the blood drops that sounded like rain falling on the leaves. He stayed in the tree and eventually would have bled out, but I wanted it dead quickly. The second shot was to the head and he flopped to the ground, twitched and died. The wife said she could not hear the report of the .22 only the thud when the possum hit the ground. Back to the raccoon: There are 3 cats that roam freely (have not tried to mess w/ my ckns)––do you think that the cats would keep the coons at bay (keep them inside the woods/trees)? A boar coon or even a motivated momma coon will make short work of your cats. They might keep juveniles away. Not mine. I consider them targets of opportunity, but they stay out of the back yard. |
|
a .22 short or a .22LR subsonic is a much better option in a more urban environment.
I'm just saying......................... We have easily over a 100 chickens on the property currently. (maybe more than that, we just had a batch of eggs hatch) including 50 odd meat chickens. Anything is a real threat. The really interesting thing is that Sunday I was tilling the neighbor's garden for him (cuz I'm a nice guy) and I look down and there's a chicken foot. I get the neighbor and go "what exactly are you putting in your compost?" He had no idea and when we picked it up, it still had most of the leg attached. Wasn't one of mine (we're not missing any), but someone is. Coyote/fox eating we figure. |
|
Quoted: Or even one of the modern high velocity pellet rifles.......then you can always shrug and tell the neighbors "Hey, it's just an air gun."a .22 short or a .22LR subsonic is a much better option in a more urban environment. I'm just saying.........................  |
|
Quoted:
Possums are too slow to be a threat to your birds but if they can get into the coop they will definitely eat the eggs! Completely wrong. I had to trap a possum last week. I though it was a coon getting my birds, since typically they eat the organs out. I was suprised it was a possum killing them like that. The killing has stopped since then. A possum is a shitty little critter. If he catches a bird on the ground at night he'll kill him sure as shit. Eggs are a no brainer, but he'll kill a hen sitting on 'em. |
|
Quoted:
Possums are too slow to be a threat to your birds but if they can get into the coop they will definitely eat the eggs! You ever see a possum run when it was serious? I have, they're quick when they want to be, they're just typically lazy Quoted:
An adult male coon will kick most dogs asses, I wouldn't count on the local cat population for anything other than being a warm meal... Jack Russel Terrier 
Our little, timid female kept the largest Coon I've ever seen at bay, cornered underneath a small shed for 15 minutes while we found a light bright enough to shine under so we were sure to hit the coon and not the dog. That is the most vicious I've ever seen her get, and I think she was just having fun! |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Possums are too slow to be a threat to your birds but if they can get into the coop they will definitely eat the eggs! Not the possums we have - they love eggs, will eat chicks and shred full grown chickens. If you come across a chicken that looks like someone hacked it up with a machete - it was most likely a possum - Possums, Crows, Foxes, and Coyotes are the major killers of chickens and chicks. I've never heard of a crow attacking a chicken, I've seen hawks circle my birds, but then they see the size of them and wonder if they're turkey's and don't bother. Skunks are also a major threat to chickens and will behave similarly to racoons in regards to chickens. I made a road house style chicken wire pen off the coop where the birds can be outside during the day and still be safe. It was broken into after the first month by a coon bouncing on one of the corners until it pulled away from the coop and then he climbed down and wreaked havoc. I've since strengthed the "seams" and covered the roof in concertina wire. It's been over 2 years since the attack, and no more attempts although our boy said he found a little hair in one of the points of the razor ribbon. I guess predators learn quick. One interesting note about chicken attacks is that we got rid of our rooster(way too loud for our tastes) at about 7pm, and woke up the next morning at 6 am to find half of our flock dead. He may have been loud, but there's no doubt as to the job a rooster does in keeping his flock safe and he wasn't quite full grown yet. I've been around chickens for a while, and seen some real nasty roosters, that would make even coyotes think of looking for easier targets. |
|
"One interesting note about chicken attacks is that we got rid of our rooster(way too loud for our tastes) at about 7pm, and woke up the next morning at 6 am to find half of our flock dead. He may have been loud, but there's no doubt as to the job a rooster does in keeping his flock safe and he wasn't quite full grown yet. I've been around chickens for a while, and seen some real nasty roosters, that would make even coyotes think of looking for easier targets."
After dark every rooster I've had is as docile as a hen, so I can't agree with them protecting anything. Rhode Island Red roosters, which I will not have because they are plain aggressive, more so than my fighting bloodline, will sit a roost just like a hen at night. The only protective birds I've seen are real broody hens, they'll fight you for eggs. I saw a video of a hen throwing herself between a hawnk and her chicks. YMMV |
|
I lost 6 hens and our pet rooster earlier this year to a fox. The Rooster was an Americana.. He was a kick ass bird. He understood his place in the pecking order and didn't mess with my wife or kids. He actually bounced a few hens that got stupid with the kids.
I think he put up a pretty decent fight with the fox as there were 5 distinct battles in my yard looking at the feather patterns. He also alerted me to a racoon in my coop one morning. He was making a hell of a racket.. Went to look and found said racoon chasing a hen around the coop. Stupid bandit escaped my coop and tree'd himself right next to it. Had my beagle come out to post on the tree so I could fetch a proper tool. I guess I have been lucky otherwise.. 2 dead critters and not much has messed with my birds since. I kept the fox's skull.. Was pretty cool to see some #5 shot stuck in his skull. |
| I used to have about 10 chickens roaming freely in my yard, the local cats never messed with them and the chickens liked the cats. I would be concerned about opossums freaking out the chickens at night causing them to go crazy and hurt themselves, especially locked in a cage. Of all the years 3 disappeared and one was found with no head, but there was also no blood anywhere even on the body. |