Possums in the Henhouse: The Egg Thief You Can Outsmart

If your egg count is mysteriously shrinking and the hens look innocent, you may have a nighttime visitor with a pointy nose and excellent climbing skills. Possums are known to eat raw chicken eggs, and for homesteaders and backyard poultry keepers, that can turn a cheerful coop into a small mystery novel.

Possums are opportunists. They are not usually the most dramatic predator in the poultry world, but eggs are easy calories. If a coop has loose wire, gaps near the roofline, weak latches, or nest boxes accessible after dark, a possum may treat it like a buffet with bedding.

The practical fix starts with exclusion. Use sturdy hardware cloth rather than flimsy chicken wire for vulnerable openings. Secure doors with latches that cannot be nudged open. Check corners, vents, and eaves, because climbing animals often enter where we forget to look. A coop should be snug enough that you would not be embarrassed to invite a raccoon inspector, though please do not.

Egg collection matters too. Gather eggs in the afternoon or evening so they are not sitting overnight. Keep spilled feed cleaned up, store grain in sealed containers, and avoid leaving scraps near the coop. Food smells invite all sorts of critters, and once they learn the route, they may add your place to their regular rounds.

For most keepers, prevention beats confrontation. Good coop design protects eggs, reduces stress on hens, and avoids the messy ethics of dealing with wildlife after the fact. As with many farm problems, the cheapest solution is often a tight latch installed before trouble learns your address.