Chickens taken at night through vertical sliding door?

[cmom]

My first thought is that a coon could easily climb over your fence. I also have my pens covered as well as electric wires around my coops and pens. Nothing so far has gotten past the electric wires. Good luck...

 

[speedy2020]

It is time to put a camera and record. You need to trap and get rid the pest.

 

[hogges]

My first thought is that a coon could easily climb over your fence. I also have my pens covered as well as electric wires around my coops and pens. Nothing so far has gotten past the electric wires. Good luck...

Could you share some details about the electric wire design? I want to do the same. Covering our outdoor run is impractical, it’s too big, trees etc.

 

[hayley3]

I had a coon lifting up my garage door...when I locked that, he peeled the metal facing off of my walk door....no one realizes how strong they are until it happens to you.

 

[cmom]

Could you share some details about the electric wire design? I want to do the same. Covering our outdoor run is impractical, it’s too big, trees etc.

I have over a quarter of an acre fenced with pens and coops, the pens are all covered with heavy duty netting. I did cut the netting in places to put it around the trees and connected the sections of net back together. It may not be pretty but it's up. Some of the electric wires are put up with insulators and in other places I have step in posts.

This is a chick/grow-out coop. I used two wires on this coop and pen and the predators know it's there. Here I used the step in post for the electric wire.

 

[hogges]

I have over a quarter of an acre fenced with pens and coops, the pens are all covered with heavy duty netting. I did cut the netting in places to put it around the trees and connected the sections of net back together. It may not be pretty but it's up. Some of the electric wires are put up with insulators and in other places I have step in posts.
View attachment 2199896View attachment 2200597
This is a chick/grow-out coop. I used two wires on this coop and pen and the predators know it's there. Here I used the step in post for the electric wire.
View attachment 2200599

Thank you very much. I just finished installing my own electric fence last night.

 

[mapurcel]

I agree that a raccoon is the most likely predator to open that door. But they tend to be messy eaters and leave a lot of blood and feathers around, and you said there wasn't very much.

As a quick protective measure, I would suggest putting a board over the outside of the bottom of the door. He's lifting it up by working his fingers into that crack. It would be a lot harder to lift if that crack was covered. My door is really similar to yours, but the outside looks like this: View attachment 2197651

There isn't anything to grab except the smooth board, so it's almost impossible to move from the outside.

I JUST made a door very similar to this one except rectangle on my coop. The door is at least an inch longer than the opening on all sides (3 extra before the floor).

Do you have a lock in addition to this style door for security? Is the door located in a run? I have not figured out a way to add an automatic lock to my string yet and am wondering if the chickens will be okay for a night.