Escape Hatch on coop?

[thewarriorchild]

I am considering puttting in a escape hatch so if my birds are cornered again in the coop they could get out. Now this is an idea but not quite sure what to do with it.
I do not want the predator to get out if it is a bear,
Where should I put it? I have pigeons and chickens and had ducks (see predator section)
I am also thinking of making some kind of hiding area or nesting boxes that are deeper or something so that they could hide.
This could also make them trapped... the gears are turning, I am going to have some odd things in the coop I think!
I am open to ideas!
Thanks!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

How about making the coop preditor proof?

 

[Bi0sC0mp]

if its bears you worried about put up electric wire best thing for bears...

Even scientists and wildlife researchers use portable electric fences to keep bears out of their camp in bear country.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I read your other thread and I'm really sorry about what happened. That was a terrible thing for them and for you.

Honestly, I would focus on an electric fence, more than anything else. I think anything you try to build inside the coop, would be destroyed by a bear, too. Who knows, though? You might get some great, wild idea from somebody else here. I would still put up an electric fence.

Have you ever thought about putting a baby monitor out in the coop, so you could get an early warning of trouble at the coop?

 

[patandchickens]

If a predator gets into the coop, you are going to lose chickens. They will not know where the escape hatch *is*; in any case they are likely to be asleep when the predator gets 'em anyhow.

Also, I am at a loss to see how you could secure any escape hatch so that the chickens could basically-accidentally open it when bumbling around in the dark to escape a predator, but would NOT open it by accident any other time. Since a predator getting into your coop should be an extremely rare occurrance, you would be trading away a small (b/c extremely rare) problem for a much larger (b/c it will happen more often) problem of chickens just randomly exiting the coop, quite possibly in a way that then allows predators in too.

It seems to me that your energy and ingenuity would be better spent on predator-proofing.

Condolences and good luck,

Pat

 

[spook]

I tend to agree with Pat. I have hens in the same pen now going on 2 years and they still cannot find the open door to get the treats I'm giving them out on the lawn.
I would suggest bear proffing your hen house. Electric fence is something folks place around their honey hives to protect them.
Remove all food smells, make a cloth bag, place moth balls in it, hang 5-6 feet up a tree (can be lower) bear hate mothballs and amonia, about every 20 feet or so.
I'd still place an electric fence around the hen yard, or even your property.
Have you reported this to the game warden (what ever it is there), it maybe a relocated bear or one that needs to be taken out of your area. I would tell your neighbors and let them know you have had a problem. People with pigs or sheep (dunno why not goats) really need to know this as bear do eat those animals. Maine has black bear and much smaller then the grizzly and they are stinkers.
Good luck and sorry your having such a time. Hugs to you!!!