Do possums pose a health risk

Chookama · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:17 am **Posts:** 5

Do possums pose a health risk to my chickens and ducks? I have 4 now and I caught them in the coop last night eating the food and scraps left over should I be worried?

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Don’t know abt the health risk but we had a possum kill a full grown chook last year – I reckon they are a risk for that alone = we trap and relocate

jennye · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:18 pm

Possums are not a health risk that I am aware of. The reason the possum killed the chook was he/she was probably fighting for his/her life. The chook probably attacked him first and he was in a strange environment. I have found you cannot relocate possums as the one that you relocate will be killed by the possum occupier of that property. He will be considered an intruder. When you take a possum from your area another one will take his place. I suggest you put up possum boxes and maybe leave some fruit on a platform for him. He will appreciate it.

Chookama · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:17 am **Posts:** 5

By the sounds of it I should now be looking for a trap to catch them are they easy to catch?

jennye · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:45 pm

I assume you are talking about possums. They will not harm anything. They are nocturnal and forage at night for food which can be anything from new growth on trees to all sorts of fruit. They are enjoyable creatures to watch in their play at night. Anyway, if you put up possum boxes you will get to watch these creatures at dusk. Please do not relocate as it is harmful to possums who just like to be left alone to carry out their forgaging.

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

They may disturb the hens with their nightly activities in the coop and if you are in a paralysis tick area then they can carry these and potentially transfer them to your poultry, although this is not really a major problem.

Any chance of making sure they can't get in by plugging up any holes etc?

I agree that relocation is often disastrous for these guys- there are very few areas of suitable habitat that are not already fully saturated with brushtail possums.

Chookama · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:17 am **Posts:** 5

Oh wow he is so cute

Maybe I could try the possum boxes and give them a little apple. I guess I must try it is there home too

fulcoop · **Joined:** Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:28 pm **Posts:** 3

We have lots of possums and they don't harm the chickens but we do have a roof on the coop so they can't get in easy

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Hope this photo works.
Spot the possum...

He usually lives in the roof of my office with his mum, but mum has a new baby and he must have been trying out a new house for size. He spent the whole day there, eventually tucking his entire body in that tiny space, but obviously decided it wasn't quite to his liking as he hasn't been back there since.

Hint - he's in the the faux attic window in the chookie cubby house in the foreground of the photo.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Wow, awesome chook and possum abode ash1!

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