Does anybody else have trouble keeping people from messing with their coops at night?

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I live in the city Jesse James was killed in the home of the Pony Express. It really is a nice town and the only reason this is happening is people are going homeless or unemployed or maybe addicts. Many are getting hungry and maybe they may want some eggs or a warm place to live so they are breaking into houses people have been kicked out of or stealing from them to buy food. My sons house was broken into his things were there but he had not lived there for a year because he couldn't pay his sewer bills. They keep coming back taking things. We barred the doors now expect the windows to be broken or it set on fire eventually. That happens when squatters move in and light fires to keep warm around here. It's bad for some people right now. Shelters can't hold them all.
 
Kusanar said:
Motion activated lights can deter people as well, they start messing around and then a light turns on and spooks them. Doesn't always work and won't work if they are determined, but maybe the light coming on will alert you that there is someone out there as well.

Maybe even a camera like a Ring brand where it records video and sends you an alert to your phone. So I would pair that with the motion lights, the lights come on so the camera can get a good view and it sends you the video to your phone. At the least if you can get good footage of them you can send it to the police.

Also, make sure your yard is clearly marked No Trespassing. If it isn't then there probably isn't much you can do about them being on your property as stupid as that is.
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Good advice for sure. Pretty much what I'm doing with my security system cam aimed that way now it records but it's not good video and not close enough really but it will sense motion record and at least I can watch it for movement etc. Also have motion light there too but expect them to try and take it since I ended up putting it on the coop. I'll have to watch to keep that from happening. Signs have been up too but ignored.
 
Fishychix said:
Have you filed a police report? Definitely get cameras and hide them pretty well. The police sometimes won't do anything unless you have "proof".
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No because they have not taken anything. The did unscrew that coop door and leave it hanging though the last time. Usually they move things or leave the pen top unwired as I connect it usually. One time they left my shed doors open but didn't take anything. I can't figure out if they think the birds are too young to take or don't want them for food or if they are feeding them or want to pet them or what. It's kind of like they want to pet them maybe but they had no reason to get into that shed for that.
 
21hens-incharge said:
I am thinking if you replaced the standard hardware with something that takes a specialty bit they cannot just unscrew things.
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You know I did think about that last night. I have phillips head screws in now because that is the most convenient but I have used some that have the star centers or other shapes but all I have right now are 3 inch long and that would be way too long for my thin coop walls. I think that is a great idea if it happens again. Maybe I should do it anyway right away. I told my son if they are using a drill out there they can use it on my privacy fence I had reinforced with the same type screws and get into my pool area then try and get into my back door. So I'm feeling a bit nervous about that at times. I try not to think about it though. Yes maybe I need to buy a bunch of something or strip out the screw heads so they can't unscrew them. My son did that on some at his house where they have been breaking in quite a bit to the house and stolen most of his things now. I guess our nice neighborhood is going to pot right now and it may get worse with covid problems. I put out alarms and motion light and have a cam on it now. Thanks for that tip because I think I need to do that to the privacy fence too.
 
Pandemic pandemonia said:
You know I did think about that last night. I have phillips head screws in now because that is the most convenient but I have used some that have the star centers or other shapes but all I have right now are 3 inch long and that would be way too long for my thin coop walls. I think that is a great idea if it happens again. Maybe I should do it anyway right away. I told my son if they are using a drill out there they can use it on my privacy fence I had reinforced with the same type screws and get into my pool area then try and get into my back door. So I'm feeling a bit nervous about that at times. I try not to think about it though. Yes maybe I need to buy a bunch of something or strip out the screw heads so they can't unscrew them. My son did that on some at his house where they have been breaking in quite a bit to the house and stolen most of his things now. I guess our nice neighborhood is going to pot right now and it may get worse with covid problems. I put out alarms and motion light and have a cam on it now. Thanks for that tip because I think I need to do that to the privacy fence too.
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I wouldn't strip them. YOU may need to be able to remove them someday. Look for tamper resistant screws. They take a tool not readily available to the general population at the hardware stores.

There are also latches that when installed and latched the screw heads are covered.
 

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