Is a simple door latch safe for a chicken coop?

[ericlw55555]

How are things going?

Hey Fishychix, thanks for checking in!I went to two hardware stores yesterday and let a few of my friends help me design my coop and it has been quite difficult, like I said with my reply to aart, because the area of my yard that can have a coop built has several plants and is not particularly big. Also, I bought these locks but they were too big and I had to return them. For now, I've stuck to my carabiners. I've tried buying those carabiners that have a locking mechanism on them but they won't fit on that latch door, so I would wrap duct tape the part they open at night. I also reinstalled the screws that attached the latch to the door. It seems to be working fine, and I'm rushing to get a coop ready. Do you have any advice on how to build my coop? Maybe it's time to start a new thread?

 

[Fishychix]

Hey Fishychix, thanks for checking in!I went to two hardware stores yesterday and let a few of my friends help me design my coop and it has been quite difficult, like I said with my reply to aart, because the area of my yard that can have a coop built has several plants and is not particularly big. Also, I bought these locks but they were too big and I had to return them. For now, I've stuck to my carabiners. I've tried buying those carabiners that have a locking mechanism on them but they won't fit on that latch door, so I would wrap duct tape the part they open at night. I also reinstalled the screws that attached the latch to the door. It seems to be working fine, and I'm rushing to get a coop ready. Do you have any advice on how to build my coop? Maybe it's time to start a new thread?

Ha! Ha! It’s so irritating isn’t it? SO any trips to the store! I built mine from pallets, furring strips (they come in a few different sizes), and some wainscoting I found on clearance at Home Depot. There are a Lot of ideas online. I kind of like the a-frame ones, but they wouldn’t have worked for us. Do you have builder-type friends or creative thinkers? For the coop itself, you’ll want to use that .5” hardware cloth mentioned in previous posts and 2x4’s with screws. I’m having a builder friend come over and help me build an enclosed run for my fuzz buckets. I plan on using 1”x1” welded wire and 2x4’s. Nice and solid! Staples are very useful unless you know how to sandwich the wire between the wood. I had some trouble with that.