We recently had a steep temp dip (Northern Illinois), and I had to shore up my barn to keep out the possums (they were chewing open feed bags). I’m good about not leaving cat food out, and hadn’t had a problem with possums until now. However, I’ve been seeing a lot about how possums are beneficial to the environment. I know they are an EPM risk if they defecate on hay or grass, but I’m wondering if there is a way to peacefully co-exist and even support them through the harsh winter without putting my animals at risk. Any ideas? Since we secured the barn they’ve been showing up by the bird feeder at the house (for reference, my home is only about 15-20 feet from my barn).
Feed them regularly? I’m supporting some critter, probably possum, and put out leftovers every night so as to keep them out of the horse and barn areas. Critters need to eat too. I’d love to know what I’m supporting. Could be armadillo also.
4 Likes
I hate them. Not only do they spread EPM, they kill my chickens if I don’t have them locked down like Ft. Knox. I’m not really impressed with all the opossum loving memes being shared either, especially the ones specifically claiming the poor dear opossum would never ever kill a chicken.
I suppose if you want to feed them through the winter, that’s up to you.
12 Likes
I do not know of any way to co-exist peacefully. They never stop pushing for more. I would NOT encourage you "supporting " them with food or shelter, they CAN manage on their own. They did before you came, will after you leave. They will do fine out in the ungroomed areas around your farm. They usually have a very thick layer of fat, so skimpy fur does not mean they are cold.
You need to store grain and outside pet food in metal trash cans, an old freezer, to keep them and other rodent species out. Anything you put out to feed opossum, will attract rodents too. You DO NOT want have to deal with rats!! Unfortunately Opossum are rather hard to kill, once they reach the destructive nuisance stage. My large dog keeps them away from my bird feeders in the daylight hours, but they probably visit at night along with the rabbits. But going back to clean up the supposedly dead opossum, I can seldom find the carcass, they have crawled off.
I have long since lost any sympathy for them after finding my cats or kittens dead, sometimes partly eaten! They leave poopy hay hay to be thrown away, now $6 the bale. We had a horse getting sick with EPM, trash knocked over, general destruction if a barn door got left open… I don’t hunt them, but any found in the barn area are dealt with permanently. You can’t scare them away, they don’t learn.
Probably making things tight, no entrances, no food sources, will discourage them being around. Electric fence around the bird feeders may help, though birds do scatter seed far and wide.
9 Likes
All of my feed is stored in a dead chest freezer or in a metal trash can. No feed is ever in a position to invite any rodent to chew on a bag. I do not have possums, coons, or rats in my feed room, despite leaving a window open for my cat to come and go. I have some mice, sure- it’s a barn. but the big guys? nope.
As for possums and chickens- look- chickens are like horses- they were born looking for a way to die. Chickens are the reason hardware cloth exists. That’s the way it works. If it weren’t possums it would be rat snakes.
14 Likes
Yeah I know. It just irritates the heck out of me that they’re spreading it all over FB that an opossum would never hurt a chicken when I know it’s patently untrue. I did manage to find where he was getting into the barn and fixed it, so we’re good now. But I sure don’t encourage the things to hang around if I can help it.
4 Likes
Some people think the earth is flat and that DJT is a man of God. You can’t fix stupid.
4 Likes
Opossums carry EPM, there is no suitable way to peacefully co-exist with them on a horse farm if you care whether or not your horses get EPM.
8 Likes
We removed a political comment from this opossum thread…which is not something I thought I’d be typing today.
38 Likes
Lol!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Some people think helmets are dumb. you can’t fix that sort of thinking.
2 Likes
Possums can be very political. It makes sense when you think about it. Possums love to eat bugs. They hear the word “politics” and they think “many” plus “blood sucking parasites”.
7 Likes
You have got to keep your feed in barrels / bins or any kind rodent secure container or you are going to have way more than possum issues. Old chest freezers are good , or build a small room to store feed bags where nothing can get in.
They are filthy disease carriers. Once you eliminate them getting into your feed they will look elsewhere.
1 Like
coyotes are pretty good at eliminating opossums which is about the only good thing about a coyote
3 Likes
Wildlife biologists and game wardens are very insistent that no one should encourage wildlife around human habitations.
It generally ends up badly for wildlife.
Humans are thinking photo-ops of idealized wildlife looking cute.
Wild critters get too comfortable and do what they do naturally.
Wild critters thrive on digging and nesting and making a mess of everything.
Some bring diseases and pests, flies, ticks, lice and such to you and your domestic critters.
The end results generally are, human then tries to discourage or even go to battle, which rarely ends up well for wild critters.
Better try to keep things clean and safe for yours in your environment, wild life out in the wild.
6 Likes
Possum’s spread EPM. The ONLY way it is spread is through their feces. Why would you want to encourage that around your horses? I have seen many horses with EPM and at best its very expensive for the owners to treat and at its worst its a mortality issue. I’ve seen both, and many cases in between. We can kill off the Protozoa that causes the problem, but we can’t heal the damage that is caused. Many horses never come back from it 100%. To me its not worth it! Keep the possums out!
4 Likes
But possums also eat ticks. Lots of ticks. So if you’re in an area with a lot of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases, I can see wanting them around the property, just not in the barn near the feed.
8 Likes
