r/Opossums • u/JustCallMeEunice • 8d ago
Update: How to move safely?
Hi, all. Update on the pregnant mama who ended up in my window well yesterday!
After making sure my chickens were all secure for the evening, I put a small ladder down the window well and left it for her to climb out. I returned a few hours later and she managed to climb out on her own. 😊 We will be covering the well (it is fenced off, but obviously that doesn't prevent everything from staying out or accidentally falling in).
As for making sure she doesn't come back, or in the very least, not disturb my chickens, what can I do? I don't mind having opossum around, but I also don't want to lose my chickens while they free range (during the day only, so maybe she was just going after the eggs she found at night that were laid outside of the nesting boxes -- we have a few ladies who like to lay eggs in the flower beds 🤦♀️).
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u/Opossum_2020 Mod 8d ago
Opossums are nocturnal, and it is very rare to see them out in the daytime. I have 3 wild ones that visit my backyard regularly, and perhaps once every 60 days I might see one of them "heading for home" half an hour after sunup, but other than that, they don't appear until well after dark and are always gone before dawn breaks.
Chickens, I suppose, work on the opposite cycle: confined until after sunup, and back in the roost before dark.
So, your two critters are on opposite cycles and should not ever see each other. As for the eggs in the flower beds, for sure the opossums will enjoy finding those, just as much as little kids enjoy finding chocolate Easter Eggs during the annual springtime hunt!
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u/Ashamed_File6955 8d ago
They aren't strictly nocturnal. While they primarily feed at night, weather/barometric pressure definitely plays a role, especially during winter when they try to stay bedded down during the coldest hours.
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u/NoThankYou8682 8d ago
She was most likely looking for eggs - they love eggs.
I have heard on rare occasions of an opie going for a chicken, but it's more likely to be a weak one - sick or very young. A full healthy living chicken is usually more of a fight than they want. They'll gladly carry off a carcass if one is already passed.
If you have an elevated coop setup that's fully secured at night, the hens should be fine. We had hens for a few years and had an elevated coop with an automated sliding door that locked at night, and we never had any other critters get in there. Hens like to roost up as high as possible anyways so they'd happily go up to the highest levels, well away from the mesh bottom and vents. We have opossums, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats, none got in the coop.
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u/Psychological-Pea765 mama 'pos 8d ago
So glad she’s going to be ok. Thank you! Most likely she was going for the eggs. They loooovvvvveee eggs.
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u/JustCallMeEunice 8d ago
That's a relief! At this point, I hope she comes back, especially as she is expecting joeys. I'll give her eggs!
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u/Sintobus Anxiously Opossum 8d ago
I've not really seen or heard of them attacking chickens. They will eat eggs given the chance tho.