If you have been reading Ocean lately, you'll know that Ed and I have agonized about how to keep the cheepers safe. Cats, too, but we concluded that they're all past the "very vulnerable" stage and likely to protect themselves well enough from any invaders. If asked, I'd say that we were rational in our decisions, listing the pros and cons of various options and strategies. But, as I step outside this morning to feed the animals, it strikes me that we were perhaps not so rational after all.
The thing is, it had snowed overnight: a wet snow, making slush out of puddles, creating yet another layer of winter nonsense.
The ground is not thawing yet and so all that melted snow formed puddles over hard-as-rock earth. The pathways are pocked with pools of water and slush. But in that fresh cover of snow, animal paw prints show up beautifully. As I walk to the garage, I can easily see Stop Sign's paw prints, a bunny rabbit's prints, and, too, the prints of our resident possum. They're unmistakable.
I can tell where he came from (the sheep shed), what he looked at (the compost pile and the garage) and where he retreated (back to the sheep shed).
Now, a possum is not really a threat to the cats. The kittens may be scared, but he will coexist with them. A possum does not pick a fight.
But a possum loves chickens. And as I share my paw print sighting with Ed, I am reminded of some basic math: we've been keeping chickens for five years, on the average, tending to to 4 - 6 chickens at a time. In all, we've lost five hens to predators, though one attack was on two little hens together (remember the young Brahma girls?), so you could say we've had four predator attacks. That's less than one per year.
And here's a crucial reality: only one predator loss was at the claws of a hawk. All the others were likely done by a possum. Too, a couple of times we found a possum in the coop when the girls were not yet there for the night. In short -- the cheepers' greatest foe is the possum.
And we have a hefty guy hanging out here right now.
(Breakfast. Discussing chickens. Again.)
We'll chase, deter and if that fails -- trap. (Trapping and/or hunting possum is permissible under state law, though you have to be careful where you release, if that's your goal.) Still, even though the weather improved in the course of the day (cold, but with a dapple of sunshine), neither of us had the heart to let the cheepers out today. The possum tracks give us pause.
In the evening, the young family comes to dinner. How grand it is to have them appear when the sun is still high above the farmette lands!
(Sparrow, studying furniture...)
Snowdrop absolutely wants to meet Happy and so the two of us trudge to the barn.
She is concerned that he'll crow very loudly, but I think for now, Happy is simply trying to figure out what the heck has just happened in his life. All these big girls! Where is he???
(Where did my sister go??)
Back again! Snowdrop tells a story, Sparrow loves the joyful animation.
Dinner, still in sunshine.
After, there's always a little time for play.
And finally, time for the young family to head home. One last check on the kitties, one last romp through icy slush, all in the fading light of a beautiful evening.
The thing is, it had snowed overnight: a wet snow, making slush out of puddles, creating yet another layer of winter nonsense.
The ground is not thawing yet and so all that melted snow formed puddles over hard-as-rock earth. The pathways are pocked with pools of water and slush. But in that fresh cover of snow, animal paw prints show up beautifully. As I walk to the garage, I can easily see Stop Sign's paw prints, a bunny rabbit's prints, and, too, the prints of our resident possum. They're unmistakable.
I can tell where he came from (the sheep shed), what he looked at (the compost pile and the garage) and where he retreated (back to the sheep shed).
Now, a possum is not really a threat to the cats. The kittens may be scared, but he will coexist with them. A possum does not pick a fight.
But a possum loves chickens. And as I share my paw print sighting with Ed, I am reminded of some basic math: we've been keeping chickens for five years, on the average, tending to to 4 - 6 chickens at a time. In all, we've lost five hens to predators, though one attack was on two little hens together (remember the young Brahma girls?), so you could say we've had four predator attacks. That's less than one per year.
And here's a crucial reality: only one predator loss was at the claws of a hawk. All the others were likely done by a possum. Too, a couple of times we found a possum in the coop when the girls were not yet there for the night. In short -- the cheepers' greatest foe is the possum.
And we have a hefty guy hanging out here right now.
(Breakfast. Discussing chickens. Again.)
We'll chase, deter and if that fails -- trap. (Trapping and/or hunting possum is permissible under state law, though you have to be careful where you release, if that's your goal.) Still, even though the weather improved in the course of the day (cold, but with a dapple of sunshine), neither of us had the heart to let the cheepers out today. The possum tracks give us pause.
In the evening, the young family comes to dinner. How grand it is to have them appear when the sun is still high above the farmette lands!
(Sparrow, studying furniture...)
Snowdrop absolutely wants to meet Happy and so the two of us trudge to the barn.
She is concerned that he'll crow very loudly, but I think for now, Happy is simply trying to figure out what the heck has just happened in his life. All these big girls! Where is he???
(Where did my sister go??)
Back again! Snowdrop tells a story, Sparrow loves the joyful animation.
Dinner, still in sunshine.
After, there's always a little time for play.
And finally, time for the young family to head home. One last check on the kitties, one last romp through icy slush, all in the fading light of a beautiful evening.
Happy looks like a nice rooster. The "girls" accepted him quickly. I looked into possum and chickens. The article I've linked has some interesting ways to deter them. They appear to be nocturnal. I don't like the electric fence suggestion. But in addition to Christmas lights what about motion sensitive solar lights around the coop? Here's the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/possum-chicken-predators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-possums.47711/
ReplyDeleteI'm learning so much about wildlife I've never seen and in the case of possum hope I Never see lol ! Sandy
Yes, all good tips. But here's the truth about possums: they are not completely nocturnal. I've seen ours move around in the late afternoon. A few years ago I took a picture of one in sunlight. Our chickens are most vulnerable when they decide to go in the coop, before we have a chance to lock them in it. It's impossible to do it at the moment that they enter: they're not that predictable. If you go too early, they're not ready and they run away. If you go too late -- well, the possum may beat you to it. This is why the cheepers have opted for dozing off perched high on the barn walls. They feel safer there at dusk. But bringing them down is hard! Too, they may opt now to return to the coop, since they've become quite familiar with it. Still, we can try Christmas lights. ROund the clock music is probably impracticable! :)
ReplyDeleteOh it's more complicated then. The cheepers are smart to perch high in the barn. I like the idea of Christmas lights. Solar powered motion sensitive lights might work too. I have a cousin who lives in the county in northern Wisconsin. Her son-in-law set up a solar lights and alarm system on her driveway. Usually it's a deer and doe that triggers it at night. The lights come on and an alarm goes off in the house. Something like that might work in the coop area. The kittens have grown so quickly! They're probably less of a target fro hawks now. Good luck! Sandy
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