Latch's for coop doors

[Dawn419]

Quote:
Got the big dog covered too!

She's not really mean...



But we've watched her scare the heck out of some BIG guys before...

Dawn

 

[mosier]

Here's what I have for latches. We have racoons in the neighborhood but so far they haven't gotten in.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/_kristy_/811814989/in/set-72157600312195114/

 

[Galaxie_Man]

Quote:
Get the protected by Smith and Wesson, it has the same effect, except anymore that means "they" wait for you to leave then break in to steal your guns.

I have an 11"X11" sign on my garage door facing the driveway that reads:

NO TRESPASSING

Violators will be shot
Survivors will be shot again

 

[Dawn419]

Dave,

I have that sign also. It hangs on the front of our Silky coop, and we all know how evil-bad they can be...

Dawn

 

[countryentertainment]

We had our chicken door hinged on the bottom so they could walk out on it, but every time I went to shut it, it had droppings all over it and shavings around the hinges. Now we have the hinges on the top and I positioned a 1/2"thick by 3"by 8"long piece of wood so when it is perfectly straight up and down the door opens. If the wood is just a little bit to either side the door will not open. When I close the door I make sure that wood is a little below horizontal so that coon would have to lift that piece of wood up and then to the left, the wood doesn't move easy either.
We did have a coon get one of our hens one night, she was being a pain and picking on every body all day. They have a porch on the coop so they can be outside when the weather is a little bad and she didn't want to go in that night. The porch was all closed up except the space between the rafters, (which I had forgotten about)the coop is at least 2 and a 1/2' off the ground, that coon stretched up no problem. I heard her scream but by the time I got there the coon had killed her, so at 3AM I was out cleaning up the mess and putting that piece of wood on the small chicken door from the coop to the porch. We were very lucky that coon didn't get into the coop. We do have a door that opens down from the porch to the ground, but it has wire on it so droppings don't stay and small strips of wood for the chickens to walk on. We do have to keep the hinged opening cleaned or it doesn't shut right, but it is easier to keep clean. That very next day the space between the rafters was filled in. We've chased the coons off a couple times and are very aware of the time of day, as soon as the sun starts to set all the chickens are inside for the night. Training them to come when you call is very good and important when you have predators around.

Hope you can keep those coons away,
Cindy

 

[schmism]

mine has an integrated door and ramp on the same hinge.

i use barrel locks on the top side. (you have to lift up to open the door) they drop down into holes on the top of the ramp/trim.

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/coupe/chicken 001 (Large).jpg

(both the girls door and the egg door use this design)

the man door uses a padlock latch with a turn center thingie mounted chest high 5'?

 

[bills]

Quote:
Now that is a great point that I had not thought of. I can well imagine the shavings could get in the way. Perhaps I better rethink the chicken door style! My chicken door is planned to go near the bottom of the main coop human size door. As I have tapered cedar siding I can't see putting a chicken door on the sides anywhere.

I figured the hinged door/ramp combo would be simple enough. I wonder if I nailed a small strip of rubber inner tube across the hinge opening that it might prevent the shaving clogging problem. As long as it folds inwards when I swing the door up, it shouldn't cause any jamming. Then again, I might end up with shavings under the rubber, then it would be really hard to clean out....DOH!

I suppose a door that slides up would solve the jamming problem, although a little trickier to make. I would just have to have a ramp that I can lift out of the way, whenever I go into the coop.

Thanks everyone for the ideas on coon proof latches, lot's of food for thought!

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

We use industrial strength(for want of a better word) inch wide rubber bungee cords to close our doors. 2 for each door, hooked into metal loops and then stretched around the corner of the coop, pulled as tight as you can, and hooked onto a loop there. Sometimes they are stretched so tight, I can't undo them and have to find my b-i-l.

We figure, if a coon has enough strength to unlatch it, we'd better start worrying about our own safety!

In a previoue coop, we had a weighted guillotine style door, that you let down by rope. It ran up and down a 'track'; sandwiched between 2 vertical boards on each side of the chicken doorway. After you let it down, you slid a 1x2 horizontally in above the door itself. ....the coons learned to pull the 1x2 out, and then go around the corner and pry up the door. I think the padlock with a key attached to the coop is what we'll do next.

 

[bills]

Quote:
Unbelievable that coons are that smart. I would use a padlock, but have concerns about it freezing up in the winter. If they figured out your sliding board lock idea, them perhaps my hitch pin idea would be a bust as well.

There are some eye hook latches that have a spring loaded piece that keeps the hook closed over the eye. I wonder if they would be enough to, fool a coon. The dog leash type clasp is similar, and might also be an idea I will try...ho humm...:|