Opossum Killing My Chickens?

[Grunt67]

Just now, gregintenn said:

 

I dunno. Shrimp is bait and delicious.

Well, there is that.

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, Grunt67 said:

Well, there is that.

You may not agree, but I’ll throw chicken livers in the mix as well. Short of that, I’ll agree with you.

[Grunt67]

46 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

You may not agree, but I’ll throw chicken livers in the mix as well. Short of that, I’ll agree with you.

You're right. I'll pass on the livers.

[E4 No More]

We bought $120 worth of chickens on Saturday. Last night I set the two raccoon/opossum traps baited with raccoon specific bait AND sprayed a "fresh" barrier of wolf piss on the fabric tabs on the fence. Woke up this morning to find one of the new chickens dead via the same MO as the others, and my traps were empty.

Now I'm beginning to think that it may be an owl. I've read that owls will bite the head off of chickens, eat what they can because chickens are too heavy for them to carry off, and take the head back to their nest because the chicken's brains supply specific nutrients that the owl requires. Unfortunately, the only way to protect the chickens from predatory birds is to cover the area with a net, (too costly to cover the huge chicken run that they have), or lock them up in the coup at night. What a PITA!

[hover458RED333]

Game camera?

[mikegideon]

1 hour ago, E4 No More said:

We bought $120 worth of chickens on Saturday. Last night I set the two raccoon/opossum traps baited with raccoon specific bait AND sprayed a "fresh" barrier of wolf piss on the fabric tabs on the fence. Woke up this morning to find one of the new chickens dead via the same MO as the others, and my traps were empty.

Now I'm beginning to think that it may be an owl. I've read that owls will bite the head off of chickens, eat what they can because chickens are too heavy for them to carry off, and take the head back to their nest because the chicken's brains supply specific nutrients that the owl requires. Unfortunately, the only way to protect the chickens from predatory birds is to cover the area with a net, (too costly to cover the huge chicken run that they have), or lock them up in the coup at night. What a PITA!

Wyze cams. 20 bucks each

[Grunt67]

3 hours ago, E4 No More said:

We bought $120 worth of chickens on Saturday. Last night I set the two raccoon/opossum traps baited with raccoon specific bait AND sprayed a "fresh" barrier of wolf piss on the fabric tabs on the fence. Woke up this morning to find one of the new chickens dead via the same MO as the others, and my traps were empty.

Now I'm beginning to think that it may be an owl. I've read that owls will bite the head off of chickens, eat what they can because chickens are too heavy for them to carry off, and take the head back to their nest because the chicken's brains supply specific nutrients that the owl requires. Unfortunately, the only way to protect the chickens from predatory birds is to cover the area with a net, (too costly to cover the huge chicken run that they have), or lock them up in the coup at night. What a PITA!

I'd lock them up at nite, if there were no openings they could get thru. Rafters/ roof, etc. Then leave the traps out for them. They won't pass up a meal. No guarantee,  but worth a shot.

Coons are smarter than people give credit for. If they can reach thru the side of the trap, they'll do that if they can reach the bait. Had that to happen till I made a wire mesh cover for the trap. Clever little son of a gun. I got him tho. I love a challenge .

[Luckyforward]

Halfway off topic, but close.

Growing up in Chattanooga, ours was a two-story house next to a rental house that was a slum.  As long as people lived there, the huge rats that infested the house stayed in the rental house.  Whenever the house went vacant, the rats came to our house.  At the ripe old age of 12, I figured out a solution.  I'd open the second story window in the kitchen, and fry a thick piece of bacon and throw it out into the driveway.  Then I'd put a .22 Short in the top barrel of my Savage .22/.401 o/u and wait.  In a few minutes a rat would come out of the house to "dine."  I'd let one start to chow, and then, "POW!"

Largest one day take was 28.

That house next door remained more fun in the future when it was empty!

[peejman]

2 minutes ago, Luckyforward said:

Halfway off topic, but close.

Growing up in Chattanooga, ours was a two-story house next to a rental house that was a slum.  As long as people lived there, the huge rats that infested the house stayed in the rental house.  Whenever the house went vacant, the rats came to our house.  At the ripe old age of 12, I figured out a solution.  I'd open the second story window in the kitchen, and fry a thick piece of bacon and throw it out into the driveway.  Then I'd put a .22 Short in the top barrel of my Savage .22/.401 o/u and wait.  In a few minutes a rat would come out of the house to "dine."  I'd let one start to chow, and then, "POW!"

Largest one day take was 28.

That house next door remained more fun in the future when it was empty!

I grew up in Chattanooga too.  I dispatched many a squirrel off mom's bird feeders with .22 shorts. 

[Defender]

Just now, peejman said:

I grew up in Chattanooga too.  I dispatched many a squirrel off mom's bird feeders with .22 shorts. 

Me too.

[Luckyforward]

I grew up in the "pore" side of Riverview . . . right before the mansions of the rich and famous

[ReeferMac]

I've got a secure coop and covered run attached, but we do let them out when home. We have lost a few to predators when they roost in the run, the coop has been good so far. We lure them in there over the winter to help them keep warm. We have them trained with a bell and scratch. Ring ring ring, throw scratch into the coop, takes about 8 seconds to get all 16 of the in there.

[Grunt67]

BTW, opossums in my neck of the woods have no pedigree,  they're just possums. LOL.