Coons and barrel latches

[HeatherEmme]

Hi guys!
DH and I are expecting our coop to arrive tomorrow. We've been planning on doing some extra predator proofing since the coop we ordered will be a factory made type coop. One of the things I've been worried about is just how crafty those darn raccoons are. The coop comes standard with barrel latches on all openings.

Anyone have any trouble with raccoons getting past these? I guess if it were to fiddle with one long enough it might just get lucky and get in.
I'm tempted to put a combination lock on everything and if the bugger gets through that I give up LOL

 

[shmccarthy]

Raccoons are very crafty with their hands, I would have a master lock on it as well. I had an "incident" with someone who didn't like me, coming over in the middle of the night and opening up my coop and letting all my chickens out for the raccoons and coyotes to get! Now this wasn't a raccoon persay but I invested in a master lock and nothing can get in or out.

 

[HeatherEmme]

Hey thanks for the reply! I was worried putting actual locks on the coop was over kill, but the more I think about it, the less far fetched it seems.

 

[shmccarthy]

I always think when it comes to predators, they'll do whatever they can to get a meal, so I'll do whatever I can to protect them!

 

[GasMenagerie]

Raccoons are very crafty with their hands, I would have a master lock on it as well. I had an "incident" with someone who didn't like me, coming over in the middle of the night and opening up my coop and letting all my chickens out for the raccoons and coyotes to get! Now this wasn't a raccoon persay but I invested in a master lock and nothing can get in or out.

OMG. I'm just speachless. I can't even imagine what I would do in that situation.

 

[shmccarthy]

It got handled, my moms boyfriend is 6'7" and 250 pounds and he went out there with the shotgun and ram them off. We haven't had any problems since. Other "weird" things were happening too. Sometimes animals aren't the only predators I guess haha

 

[D Kluck]

...how did he ram them with a shot-gun?..

 

[shmccarthy]

*ran them off