Look and see what we found in our nesting boxes this morning.
Visiter to Hotel Chicken Coop
look what i found
elle
Sheila - yer makin' me crazy! What did you find? Where is the pic? Where is the info? Is there an elephant in your nesting boxes? A pigeon? A bunny? A possum? ARGH!!!!
Elle - great lookin' eggs!
Okay so on this crazy dial-up I cannot get the pics to load. I will try again later tonight. But......
When I wen to let the chickens out this morning, I noticed a very large chicken in the bottom nest box. Upon closer inspection (because it was to big for a chicken) I found a possum that was just snoozing in there all curled up.
Of course we gave him a wake up call with the rifle and believe me he wasn't ready to wake up.
It had to be the biggest possum I have ever seen.
Well there is no more free rent at the Williams chicken coop.
Sheila
Good guess moxy. It was a possum.
Can't get the pics to load on my dial-up
Will try again later when the internet traffic is slowed down
Sheila
was any of the chickens hurt???? I have had a possum raid several times now, 2 deads chickens, I really didn't think they eat chickens, thought he was going for the eggs, well he beat me to the coop at 6:00 or so and there he was eating one of the 3 month old babies, I was livid, so last night I set the trap and saw him circling the trap trying to get the food, but nothing, I had a pet possum long story, so I do love them, but enough of the dining on my chickens, the other chicken was a barred rock cochin, the was like a dog, comes when you call her and is under foot when you are out there with them, broke my heart.
no chickens hurt. i think he got in there last night before I closed up the coop and that he was tired. he was all snuggled up and still asleep. so we literally gave him a wake up call.
Sheila
I would freak! I caught one in a cat cage once.. went out after dark and was gonna put the cage in the driveway out of the weather and the thing hissed and clawed at me.. scared me to death!
I hope you put him to sleep for good..
yes we gave him a wake up cll with the business end of the rifle.
Sheila
they are not all bad, just trying to survive, actually they have poor vision and would rather be left alone, they have a great sense of smell, and hearing. they will eat snails, slugs etc...
I think the one I have is a rare case, I have had my coop and yard the some for 11 yrs, and this is the first time this has happened. Don't kill possums because they his and growl, they want to get away from you more than you do.
next time, just move him off with a rake, the poor guy was locked up in there, not his fault, he would have been in and gone, with some eggs, and you would never have known the difference.
Wow! That is bizarre! I'm very surprised, and relieved. that no one was hurt!
Well I am sorry if I offended anyone, but I do not kill animals just to be killing them. I did kill this possum because yes he was in there to steal eggs and that is my livelyhood. If I had just let him go he would have been back and probably would have got some chickens the next time.
I believe that God put us here to care for all animals, but he also made us the smarter species so that we know the difference between harmless animals and predators.
Sheila
I lost a lot of turkey toes to a possum. It sat under the cage and bite the toes off. Lost a lot of money, time and effort because of that critter. They do not live long here around my animals. I hate to kill anything for no reason, but protecting what I have chosen to keep. Comes first.
George
I agree, any critter after my chickens will get the shot.
Sure didn't offend me! I'm glad you are taking steps to keep your chickens safe. I can't imagine the fear of having a predator harass them with no way to escape!
I caught the neighbor's dog harassing my chickens again last night.. tearing apart my cages.. I was in a fit I was so mad. That dog killed 3 of my big beautiful roos a while back, and the guy acts like it was my fault! I'm fit to be tied this morning.. I hate to think I have to get a gun to guard my birds... but it looks like I have no choice.
edited to add..
Someone who lost chicks to a possum has no room giving advice to scare it off with a rake.
This message was edited Nov 12, 2008 7:00 AM
My DH broke our dogs of even looking at the chickens let alone trying to chase them. Lets just say there was nothing left of the chickens when DH got done with it. (the dogs had already killed the chick). Now that the chickens are not chicks anymore the GP doesnt even have an interest in them. He will stay guard outside the chicken yard at night. NOTHING gets past him.
No offense to me either. I would kill a possum or other predator for that matter, if it meant keeping my animals safe.
No offense taken and i just got back from finding one of my white faced black spanish missing and bloody feathers was all that was left.
I had worked so hard to keep them they had been in a tiny isolation pen for 2 and a half months and i had just moved them to a larger ground cage.
They were so happy and molting and getting that pretty healthy green sheen and their pox was all gone and now my little hen is gone.
I have that punched in the gut feeling...........I'm moveing them back to a smaller cage and i hate too.
I don't understand i've had chickens and just recently 12 pigeons in that pen and nothing happened.
Sad so sad to have these pretty little chickens become somethings meal.
here's a pic of the cage it's been here for over a year.
These pigeons were in there for a month and the spanish have only been there a week
Just talked to my DH and he said it was probably due to the full moon and could have been an Owl we have alot of those and these did sleep on the ground where as my pigeons did not.
Hope all your chickens stay safe and have a great day^_^
Ladies get a hold of yourselves, Yes I know about it all, believe me this isn't my first BBQ, But we are nation the acts first then asks ?????'s later, should we kill everything in our way????
ZZbabiez, I am glad I am not your neighbor!!!!!!!
Believe me I have had several things after my chickens and duck, from the neighbors dogs to owls, coyotes, bobcat, you name it, but I am not going to kill everything around me, there are other solutions, what kind of example do we set if our solution to everything is kill it..............
If it is after my livestock, it will meet its maker.
I managed to trap the possum and release it several miles away, a solution without death......
Possums are slow moving for the most part and would much rather be left alone then cause harm to a person, it didn't take a lot to trap and move the possum, I guess people just don't want to make too much of an effort, I am done with this thread, there are much better to read.
makj,
careful with the way you voice your opinions toward others. You are coming off a bit preachy and I'll give you the benefit that you don't mean to.
We all choose to protect our animals a little different. I doubt very much any of us enjoy killing things, nor do we think its only solution, but we do what we have to do when protecting what we choose to keep.
I personally try to live trap things first, all the way up to poisonous spiders in the house, but I'm not going to expect everyone I meet to have those same beliefs nor will I judge them for those differences.
I also don't think I'd try that when I'm face to face with one napping in my coop. Its get bit or shoot in that circumstance as far as I'm concerned.
PS. ZZ, I'd love to be your neighbor and my doggie is a sweetheart. Actually, I'm pretty certain the girls think he's their rooster. He's a hound dog, beagle to be exact, and he says ROOOOOO a lot. ;-)
This message was edited Nov 12, 2008 8:40 PM
My temper got away from me... I would kill a possum, but not the neighbor's dog. There are a LOT of possums around here, and they are not something I want to deal with again.
As I stated in a thread a couple of weeks ago when I was faced with this neighbor that refuses to take responsibility for his dog... and I lost 11 chicks and 3 beautiful full grown Jersey Giant roos.. and have called Animal control 2 times.. I'm sorry if I came off like I want to kill his dog. Actually, the first thing the guy said on the phone was "Shoot him" I have no desire to kill the dog for the ignorance of the man.
I understand there are a lot of predators here. I am doing everything I can to keep my chickens safe. All I ask is for him to keep his dog in his yard.. that's it. I can deal with the rest.. but he acts like it's my fault the chickens are being killed and that he absolutely will NOT contain his dog. This dog has charged at me when I was on our own property.. I've done everything I can do to avoid him. He is vicious and is going to attack someone soon. He has ran after my assistant manager also.. So EXCUSE me if I come off a little strong. I have to deal with people who don't take responsibility every day.. I just have a problem with a neighbor being so ignorant.
So if you were my neighbor and let your dog kill my chickens 3 episodes in a row... I don't want you for a neighbor either!
So now a possum that knows that chickens are a fast easy meal is miles away in someone else's back yard.
and for the last time I'm not a lady!! LOL
George
I am sorry that I started all of this craziness. I think that we should all keep our judgements of others actions to ourselves and remember that each person comes from a different set of circumstances and ways. One way is not always the right way.
Sheila
Our biggest problem around here is animals who have learned to look to domesticated animals for food. If there were a viable place to move them without causing problems for someone else it might be done more. I have a hard time around here keeping kids from chasing my chickens -have to explain to them that they will teach the dogs to chase and that that will end my ability to have free range chickens and my dogs, if not resulting in my having to take the dogs to the city or someplace far away from freedom and birds. Once the dogs taste fresh chicken -they're outta luck.
Once our lab got a chicken -Mom tied the remains around that dog's neck and she [lab] wore 'em for at least 3 weeks! Under her chin! Never looked at another chicken...
I'm sorry for my part here... My temper and heartache was at max level yesterday after seeing my beautiful Marans roo all bloody and loosing a darling black Cochin pullet chick. It was about all I could take.
I understand everyone's differences of opinion... and am sorry mine came off so strong.
no worries there ZZ we all have our way of dealing with a mooch weather it be an animal or a human.
ZZ,
I don't think *you* did anything wrong, nor do I think Sheila did. We are here for eachother during the frustrating and the good.
And here i thought i was the controversial one i don't feel so bad about myself now Thanks Ladys and George too.
Haha - showed you, huh, Harmony? ;-)
Welcome to the did i really type that club and if i did what was i thinking LOL
You know, we all deal with troublesome critters in our own way, maybe it is removal and they venture back or they decide to stay away, but usually they will come back. What do they call that, creature of habit, they know once given a place to be cozy they yern for it.
Another saying.................. Slap me once shame on you...............slap me twice shame on me.
Got a bunch here Rats,Hawks,Owls,Weasels,Snakes,Cats,Possum,Skunk and the unbeatable fire ants and mosquitos.
same here except we didnt have alot of skeeters, do have ticks.
luvs2garden2000 tell me how you broke your dog from chasing and killing your chickens.My dog has to stay inside if the chickens are out he already got one and another in his mouth when I caught him,he droped her when I hollered at him.Donna
My dogs stay in when the girls are out as well. I don't know what would happen, but I don't want to take the chance, either.....
Teresa