opposums

[jennjune26]

we had an aopposum a few weeks back but since haven't seen him. is it possible he moved on? don't they relocate often?
thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Opossums and raccoons (and most other predators) are everywhere.
I'm sure you don't observe your property all night with night vision glasses. Trust me, they're there.
I saw a report that said there are 100 times the raccoons per square mile in most cities than in rural areas. And rural areas always have a population.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Opossums have a territory that they range for food. So your house is probably in his or her territory but it may take a week for an opossum to travel it's territory depending on the locale. So you may only see it once a week or you may see it once a night. I have several oppssums in my neighborhood because they have overlapping territories but I never see them at the same time. They all come a different times.

Personally speaking I've never had an opossum kill my poultry but I have had a juvenile opossum eat some eggs left in the duck house. But I lock my ducks up at night before the opossums come out. Only once did one beat me into the duck house and that was the juvenile I mentioned above and he wasn't after the ducks but just the eggs. I removed him and he went on his merry way, no ducks harmed. The only animal that I've ever lost my ducks to are those ****** raccoons.

 

[Folly's place]

I've had losses to both raccoons and possums. Neither are welcome in my barn or near the coop. Mary

 

[girls and guineas]

What predator eats the heads off chickens? There is never any blood. Do they suck the blood out? Will having a light on keep them away? Also,I had my chicks locked in a wire cage inside a fence and something grabbed the wing and ate it down to the bone. It killed the little chicken. Just made me sick!!!

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry for your loss; many of us have learned the hard way that chickens are on everyone's menu. Only a totally safe coop will protect your birds at night! Lights, radios, flashers, are all ineffective for the long haul. Build Ft. Knox! Mary

 

[dekel18042]

What predator eats the heads off chickens? There is never any blood. Do they suck the blood out? Will having a light on keep them away? Also,I had my chicks locked in a wire cage inside a fence and something grabbed the wing and ate it down to the bone. It killed the little chicken. Just made me sick!!!

Eating just the head could be an opossum trait while raccoons may use their little dexterous hands to pull parts of a bird like a wing through the wire and eat it. They're nasty little critters.

 

[ginny1966]

Mink will eat head off

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I had mink kill off 6 of my flocks and never did any more than bite the neck and suck some blood, not eating a single thing on the bird.

 

[Dooner]

Fox usually start with the head, often on site and then carry the rest of the bird off. Witnessed this myself.