Sorry Mr./Ms. Possum. You Must Go Elsewhere To Eat
nunn
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We feed the pig and two feral cats outside, and a possum has sometimes showed up to eat. Always the same possum.
A few nights ago, one of our hens would not be put up, and she roosted in a cedar tree by the back fence. I looked for her before dark and after dark, and she was nowhere to be seen. I figured she'd be OK, but such was not to be.
Next morning, I found her carcass, minus the head, just east of that cedar tree. I understand removing the head from a chicken is the possum's M.O. so I determined to rid myself of this formerly welcome visitor, now a pest.
Tonight, I came home and let the dogs out. They ran over to the pig's lair and seemed very interested in something there. I went over and there was our friend the possum!
I went inside and got a pillow case and a pair of leather gloves. When I got back, the possum was still there. I grabbed it by the tail, tapped it gently on the ground to get it to "sull," and then worked it into the pillow case.
I took it a few miles away and released it. No hard feelings, Mr./Ms. Possum. I'd like to keep feeding you, but I can't have you harming my chickens.
Sorry about no pictures. I was working alone, and it's hard to do a job and photograph it too.
Comments
Can they, do they track back to original location like some other animals do?
I don't know, but if it shows up again, I'll take it to the next county.
I use to just send them on to opossum heaven as in DRT , but many years ago just at my wifes request I started relocating them . I just grab them by the tail ( by the way some do not like that ) and into a box and down the road they go . we have live traps but so many cats its a PITA
ALL opossum and chicken encounters we had, ended with nothing but feathers remaining. Never had an opossum eat only the head.
Also, they ones I relocated were with live traps. I have seen opossums WHOOP raccoons. Those things are VERY ferocious if they wanna be!
Glad you got it moved, hopefully you won't lose any more chickens.
no possum pie ??
If TX possums are anything like CT possums he will be bac by now
We have had that happen before.
It was an big owl that did it. Just took the head.
and RACcoons will eat just the head of a chicken.
Take it to the OTHER side of the interstate!
We have had owls get in the henhouse and just eat the heads. Never saw a possum do that..
.22 LR............................problem solved.
Or, I have heard submersion in a 55 gal drum full of water works well too.
I have found headless dead rabbits around my place and asked a fish cop about it. He said Owl's M.O. They decapitate on the fly like a very quiet guillotine!
David, you sure have mellowed in your age. How does it feel to be with a couple of months a septuagenarian?
Still have a pest problem here. No longer bother possums but koons and armadillos are DRT.
In Ohio it is illegal to move trapped critters. You can shoot them or release them where found. I have had possum/chicken issues in the past. The heads were not gone, the insides were. Possums are good cleaners for the forests but not real good for chickens. Feral cats should be shot on sight. They can eat all the food you give them and then kill a flock of birds as they leave your yard. Feral cats are one reason we have a lot less song birds than we did 40 years ago.
I know what you mean. We killed a lot of critters in our youth. So many that I have no taste for killing any animal anymore. If it isn't causing me a problem, I leave it alone. If it is causing me a problem, I try to move it rather than kill it.
I haven't seen a raccoon here in years, but I have seen a few armadillos. Some of them I have relocated, but the ones I couldn't get to I just shot.
The problem was with me. I didn't try hard enough to get the silly bird put up for the night. I make sure now that all hens are inside their coop before dark.
Fortunately, the hen that was killed was one of the Australops. Not nearly as friendly as the Cinnamon Queens or the one Rhode Island Red. I'd hate to lose one of my red girls.
Next time you “transplant” one, paint a red stripe down its back so you will know if it returns. I did that with some packrats but never caught one with any red on its back.