Close up for the night?

[Heckel's Hens]

Thank you, everyone.

I guess I will just follow the good advice on here to make my pen/coop as asafe as possible...and pray.

 

[chicks47]

LOCK THEM UP GOOD! And be sure to get it locked up before it is dark. Just last night we were late locking up our coop and a coon went in a got two of our five hens.

It was not pretty to say the least and somewhat sad. One was our favorite chicken. The coon must have come just after darkness fell though b/c it wasn't much after that that I went out there to find a BIG coon laying in the corner of the coop. Must have worn itself out. There were three up in the rafters roosting.
So I put the girls in early and locked them up. Now that the coon has found the diner though I am wondering about my door latch.
The coop sits up off the ground about 2 feet with a wired 'basement' area. There is a bottom drawer that opens for the hens to walk out and a 'people' door on the side. Do people use padlocks on the coops? I just have a spring latch bolt, but have wired it up pretty good for the night. My husband just so happened to be out of town, but I think we need a better 'lock'
If anyone uses something in particular, let me know.
Also, will they or will they not rip through the chicken wire?
Thanks.... And good luck with your chickens too.

 

[Pro_Gymnast32]

Everynight probably about 30-45 minutes before it gets really dark I head out and round up my five chickens and 1 duck. 4 of my chickens sleep in an outside coop, that is a rubbermaid outdoor storage container, that is reinforced with a padlock, some other device to hold the doors together, and a rock! In the summer they are getting a new one made out of an old storage cabin. And our duck sleeps in a homemade coop thing, that my dad made, but has definietly seen better days, and my 1st chicken (she is special) sleeps in the garage.

I personally like putting them to bed, because I can say goodnight, and I don't have to worry about them. The raccoons where I live are HUGE, mean, and aggresive. They got our first duck who was in our garage when she was still little, it was awful. They have tried really hard to get it, sticking their fingers through the air holes, climbing on top, and circling the entire coop. And if I know I won't be home in time to put them away either I put them away before I go, which they don't like, but hey it keeps them safe, or I make sure a family member can lock them up. I have never tried letting them put themselves to bed before, I just couldn't take it if something happened to one of them.

 

[Pro_Gymnast32]

Quote:
Chicks 47, I padlock our coops such each night when they go to bed before dark, and raccoons are able to rip apart chicken wire, hardware cloth... I think that is what it's called. Is what really keeps them out. Sorry about your loss.