but, but...if coons can pull doors off hinges, are locks failsafe?

[Ozark Chicken]

take trap and coon, cover with tarp, take a piece of metal clothes dryer vent, run dryer vent from auto exhaust pipe to trap under tarp. Start auto, go inside for a snack or whatever. Go back in 15 to 20 minutes, remove and dispose. They just go to sleep FOREVER. The coon you set free is just making more of the little buggers. We have had nights that we have shot more than a half dozen at a time.
My wife and I have gottten very good at the spotlight riot gun method of predator control

 

[haTHOR]

you guys are obviously the experts on ways to kill raccoons but really what i want to know is how to secure my door better (aside from lock, which i'll do--i'm talking about the area around the door and whether it can be pried off/open). i'd prefer to not have to kill anything, and the only way to do that is to do a better job of predator-proofing my coop, as i've read so many times here on BYC.

 

[lakeman]

Quote:
Once that coon gets over 40 pounds, it is not a coon, if they are ripping off doors, they are bears.

 

[starforever61]

Makes me think...our chicken house door is broken so we tied it off with a dog leash. Yeah, we're screwed, but you're probably not, and I wouldn't be too paranoid about it.

 

[crosbygroup]

Quote:
Very cute Coop!

I'd add 3 or 4 hasp style closures across the top to give it more strength. If one fails then you have several more to fall back on. They would also make it more difficult for the coons to pry it open. Make sure you put some type of closure clip on the hasp so they have to do more than just turn the hasp.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Looks like you coop is tight, just add three across the top of the door. Think you will be fine. Would still keep traps set and remove any coon.

Big reason its illeagal to relocate coons, to control the spread of disease Distemper, rabies, and etc. Year ago here they had a out break of rabies in northeastern Ohio. Yep you guess it the rabies got spread hundreds of miles, they think thats what happen, people had relocated some.

My point if you take care of the ones that hang out around the coop. Less odd of trouble..

 

[Ozark Chicken]

Looks like the weak point in your coop is the upper edges of the door. If the coon can get a hand in there its just a matter of leverage. Add a couple hasp latches at either end and that should help.
It is a nice looking coop BTW

 

[arch_cpj]

Lookin at the coop you have a stout deal there I might add a couple extra hinges on the bottom for CYA I also do not see any electric fence wites along the bottom to keep the coons from climbing up it get the extended insulators from TSC aand run a couple strands one 4 inches up the other 8 inches up that ought to eliminate them gettin in and even pullin on the hatch very nice coop...

 

[arch_cpj]

Hey one more thing that bottim hatch ought to have a little chaIN ON EITHER END TO KEEP THE STRSS OFF THOSE HINGES IF NOT THEY WILL WORK OUT go get yourself a couple little eyebolts and some d twist chain when it opens it will stop flat wont have to worry about the little one openen it and gettin wonked in the head or lettin it fall ad the hinges popin out

 

[haTHOR]

Quote:
good idea, but i do like it opening completely sometimes...to clean or to give them access in the rain (since the door drops out of the way of any rain and is under the overhang of the roof. i am sure i can fix it up with a couple of chains and dog leash doo-hickeys so that i can take them off and let it drop when needed.

i can't get electricity to the coop...i live in a little community and this is out by the community garden; no outlets and my landlord is not ok with extension cords. i would also think that electrification would be even more unsafe for the kids than getting bonked by the door?

thanks everyone for the kind words on the coop...it better be sturdy for what we spent which was around $300. i'll add two more hasp/latches at the top and two more on the sides near the bottom. i can't do any more hinges to the left of the leftmost one (in the pic) b/c there is a notched slide-out pop door there and it needs clearance to come out. but latches down low on the sides would work.