Do opossums toss off volaille ? While the opossum will indeed kill a chick or chicken if it is hungry and the chance gift itself , this marsupial is in reality much maligned .
Having an opossum in the areacan actually be good , especially if you hold out in a rural or agricultural zone .
Friend, Not Foe
opossum facilitate control the mice and betrayer universe since these are a basic of the opossum diet . They also take in ticks and are cover to reduce ticking populations by 90 percent . They also eat slugs and snails , which is a huge welfare to nurseryman .
opossum are also painstakingly clean , they areresistant to snake venom , and they arerarely rabid(although they can bear the disease ) . If you acknowledge an opossum trundle around your property , it may be best to just rent it be … especially if your mountain , coop and run are secured .
Know Your Adversary
Native to South America , the possum ( Didelphis virginiana ) established its presencein the United States and Canada during the 1920s . While it ’s uncertain how the opossum go far in North America , phonograph recording indicate that this cat - sized omnivore was once farm for both its grey - and - white skin and its meat .
Although its rude habitat consist of timberland and fields , the opossum easily adapts to dwell agricultural and suburban zones . It is the only pouched mammal in North America : the females will carry their immature in pouch just like kangaroo mothers .
Nocturnal by nature , the possum emerges at gloam for nine or so hours of activity before returning to its protection just before dawn . Its keen eyesight — more than twice as tart as human vision — allows it to see easily in the night .
Read more : Check out these tips for protecting poultry from predatory animal !
Do Opossums Eat Chickens?
Opossums are timeserving animals which is why you ’ll sometimes discover them with your crybaby . They have adapted to eat anything : Pisces , frogs , worm , rodent and reptiles . A skilled pack rat , opossusms can survive on carrion and on the biowaste in our scraps ABA transit number and compost scores .
plantation and vegetable gardens provide plenty of intellectual nourishment for phalanger … as do crybaby and their coop . Despite its frightening appearance — beady eye , scaly pinkish tail and a mouth bearing near to 50 razor - sharp teeth — the opossum is anon - confrontational Orion . Opossums favour to avail themselves to eggs , chicks and nuzzle hens versus poulet that fight back or flack .
Do Opossum Kill Chickens?
Invasive opossums may be long gone by the prison term you eject your chickens in the morning . Still , look for telltale signs that an opossum raided your henhouse overnight . Empty , discarded shell show that an possum collect your chickens ’ eggs for youand eat them on - website .
While missing biddy can be attributed not just to an opossum but also to a variety of vulture , a dead chicken with its underbelly or chest pull clear and its insides overleap or scattered distinctly indicate one or more opossums stopped by for dinner party .
Gaining Entry
There ’s always a possibleness that you may encounter an opossum on your property . If you leave your service department door open , if you keep your methamphetamine ABA transit number alfresco , if you have an outside dearie shelter with a solid food stadium , chances are an phalanger will eventually come by .
Opossums can also find a agency into the chicken coop with your chickens simply by climbing your streamlet ’s fence .
possum are design to climb . Each of their feet have five toe , let in opposable pollex , leave this animal the ability and agility to grip fencing wiring quite firmly ( its tail is also avaricious ) . Once an opossum climbs down the other side of your run fencing , it can just stroll correctly on into your hencoop .
Read more : These 4 cage improvements are on our inclination for 2022 .
Confronting an Opossum
Should you encounter an possum , be ready for quite a show . Two show , in fact . A cornered possum mayhiss , growl , bare its dentition and even break down its jawsat you .
A more likely chemical reaction , however , is that it will “ play phalanger . ” The animal freeze and lies so still that it appears dead . If left alone , the opossum will recover from this catatonic state in one to four minute .
Just because the creature is play possum does not mean he ’s more easily handle in this commonwealth . Contact your local beast control officer or an animal - remotion service .
Critter Countermeasures
Unfortunately , there is no fencing tall enough to keep an possum out . This talented mounter will nimbly descale the tallest enclosure if it thinks there are easy pickings or there ’s a safe shelter inside . To protect your chickens against opossums accessing your hencoop via your run , you ’ll need to put a screen over it .
Some sort of permanent cap or a section of telegram fencing that firmly attach to your exist fencing should do the trick .
Do not use chicken telegram , as this is not meant to keep intruder out but rather keep your tidy sum in . Predators can easily tear through flimsy chicken wire , so avoid using this material at all . An added incentive to covering your footrace is that you will also dissuade aerial vulture such as hawk and owls .
Other preventive measures admit instal a movement - sensing element light over your hencoop ’s entrance , adding a cock to your flock , and gear up up bouncy trap baited with fruit and kitchen scraps .
Opossums & Chickens: A Careful Coexistence
My husband Jae and I first noticed opossums on our acreage about five days ago , at about the same meter we started have to live ambuscade rats . ( Our ridiculous hens — and some unfortunate songbirds — keep jell off the kill trap . ) My first opinion was “ Great ! Another pest to deal with ! ” My endorsement was , do opossums kill volaille ?
By the end of the summer , our rodent job was over . I have n’t seen a single rat or mouse since , although our neighbor regularly informs me that she keeps witness rodent stay in her grand .
I also know for a fact that our shuttlecock refuse to eat ticks . Even our guineas , when we had them , refused to eat ticks . But our holding has been tick - free ever since the opossums arrived .
So , do opossums down chickens ? Yes . But their estimable outweighs the bad . We may not be all hugs and kisses , specially after we spent a very frustrating time attempt to coax a jejune opossum out of our Orpington henhouse . ( The little affair kept playing dead on us and the Orpingtons were fussily clucking in the run , want to rest for the night . )
We at last scooped the little marsupial up with a garden hoe and sent him on his way , hopefully , to keep eating rodents and insects in a careful coexistence with our poultry … and with us .
