Possum problem

[CntryBoy777]

Unruly roosters can surely help to get in the "swing" of things when it comes to butchering....
Something that can help ya there is to use an empty feed sack with one of the bottom corners cut off, just so the head and neck will stick out a bit....don't look into the eyes, just focus on the chop spot....being inside the bag will restrict the flopping around and creating a large blood field....after ya get a few under your belt ya will be a pro....

 

[Rammy]

Thats true. Ive had a few go bye bye because the 2 x 4 I whacked them with to an inch of their life for flogging me and not understanding that it would get me ticked off. Ive been thru about 6 roosters before the one I have now. He's nice. Doesn't flog me, runs away when I come near, lets me grab him and take his spurs off like I did last night without trying to bite or flail around. I told him he gets to stay as long as he's a good boy.
I have thought about getting some meat birds to raise and process, but really dont want to mess with the mess. There is an Amish place about an hour from me that will do it for $3 a bird. Might just let them do it.

Rammy

 

[canesisters]

... ugh.. possums
About 3 times a year one will move into my barn. The barn cats' food is up high on a platform, all of the other feed is in metal cans with tight lids. The trash is only in open feed bags... but do you think they've EVER gotten into THAT??? Nope. They trash the feed room getting up to where the cat food is. Or they drag empty feed buckets around and lick them 'clean'. They poop in the feeders after they check them for any bit of food. I HATE possums. I have zero problem trapping and disposing of them.

 

[Rammy]

That was happening in my storage shed in the back yard. Caught several pics on a game cam of a possum climbing up stuff to get to the cat food on the upper shelf. He went ate too much lead one night. Nasty. Doesn't matter where I put the food, they find a way to get to it. I had a friend who had chickens but stopped getting eggs. One day she went out and found her rooster dead and a possum in one of the nest boxes. Ewwww.

Rammy

 

[Baymule]

I could probably make a lot of money renting Paris out to kill possums........

 

[Rammy]

I could probably make a lot of money renting Paris out to kill possums........

You probably could! Start a whole new business. Take out these nasty critters and make a little money on the side.

Rammy

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I definitely agree with moving away the barn cat food. From experience, setting a live trap with some cheap canned fish meat or a handful of that dry cat food works great to catch them, then dispatch with a .22 after. Possums are extremely attracted to chickens and they'll surely kill them too. They will often be up in the trees right near your pen- we had one living in the dang goat pen a few years back. Also keep an eye on raccoons- we had a bad problem in the past with raccoons slinking in the trees around the chicken pen at night as well. Hope you get this nuisance problem solved- the only thing besides trapping to deter is trying to close up and hide anything they can eat or close up where they can't get in if you can help it.

 

[Rammy]

Yes,they do like the cat food. When I do catch one I use a .22 to dispose of them. I know they like chickens and the eggs, besides the fact they mess all over my hay. I have had raccoon problems also. One got so comfortable with my property it tried to jump one of my chickens in the day time. It took me a while to trap him but eventually got him with bbq.

Rammy

 

[farmerjan]

I have possum problems too. Set the live trap right next to the "chicken tractor" type pen, no bait, nothing. Caught a possum, a week later got a skunk, 2 days later another possum. I get at least 6 of each, or more per year. Between them they devour the eggs, digging under the frame and getting in. I catch too many cats with cat food. Also have ground hogs, and some fruit, like watermelon, apples, or such will usually get the ground hogs and the others also will go in the trap for it. I have no problem shooting them either.
I only feed my cats as much as they can get cleaned up during the daylight hours. At least they did get rid of the rats that were here from the landlord having uncovered feed in his barn. And no mice outside but they all moved into the house. No inside cats. I use the sticky traps and have one barn cat that has learned that if I go out with a mouse stuck on the trap, and call "here Callie", she will run over and pull the mouse right off the trap. So then I can reuse them a couple of times. Gotta hold on to both sides as she'll grab and go. Can't touch the cat, but she likes the mice.

 

[Rammy]

I have either taken up the food at night or feed them what they can eat while Im at work. That way no temptations for critters at night. I still get some sort of critter on the game camera in the barn. It looks like Im going to be over run with them this year since Ive caught two so far with no bait. I have no problem controlling the possum population.

Rammy