Less than 12 hours and they're at them already!

[lazy gardener]

BTW, that little hook on the door is not varmint proof. I have read, and do believe that if a toddler could figure it out, then a coon could. I use these:

 

[lazy gardener]

I would also use multiple strands of hot wire. First one high enough that the grass won't short it out.

I'm surprised the girl in the video didn't get her braces welded together!

 

[Morrigan]

So electrify the walls of the coop?

Run a wire around the outside perimeter of the coop. You can attach the wire right to the coop, if you buy little plastic spacers that you screw into the wood of your coop, so that the wire stands an inch or so away from the hardware cloth, as you don't want to be trying to electrify the hardware cloth itself. The wire should be around 4 inches off the ground. Better yet, string two wires, one 2 to 3 inches, the second around 6 inches. You can get a solar powered chargers if you don't want to run an extension cord to your house. The best thing about an electric wire is that once shocked, animals tend to give the area a wide berth. It is a GREAT deterrent.

 

[PirateGirl]

Just want to say, I understand. The first night my chickens were outside the coyotes came. 5 of them. One walked right up my driveway and passed within 10 ft. of the coop. It's now been over a year without a breach of security. The coyotes come regularly. There were here twice this week that I know of. Fortify fortify fortify. It's the best we can do for our peepers.

 

[Unobtanium]

Run a wire around the outside perimeter of the coop. You can attach the wire right to the coop, if you buy little plastic spacers that you screw into the wood of your coop, so that the wire stands an inch or so away from the hardware cloth, as you don't want to be trying to electrify the hardware cloth itself. The wire should be around 4 inches off the ground. Better yet, string two wires, one 2 to 3 inches, the second around 6 inches. You can get a solar powered chargers if you don't want to run an extension cord to your house. The best thing about an electric wire is that once shocked, animals tend to give the area a wide berth. It is a GREAT deterrent.

I've done that, polywire at about 3.5", 5" stand-off to prevent them from getting that close, as anything that can get closer than 5" and cause issue will find its undermiddle over the wire/under the wire and touching.

 

[MROO]

Coons are smart, ... the door, only the one latch near the center? Pull at the bottom of it, if it will pull out fix that too!

Raccoons are like cats - they can strrrrrretch! A grown coon can reach up to fiddle with that hook-latch. They also like shiny things - like door latches - so they are bound to try the latch sooner rather than later. Make sure your door and window catches have at least a dual-direction movement to them - like a swivel hasp or a compression hook latch. And it wouldn't hurt to put an extra one down low - just to make it that much harder to get in. As an added deterrent, you can put a carabiner into the hole where a lock would normally go. It's hard for those sneaky little hands to work both a latch and a carabiner at the same time.
Good Luck!

 

[Unobtanium]

Thanks! I will take action accordingly! First move is paint it green.

 

[MROO]

I have read, and do believe that if a toddler could figure it out, then a coon could.

Yup! - Many, many moons ago, in my critter-happy, misspent childhood, my brother rescued a bottle-fed baby raccoon from a hay barn. Mama had been shot for attacking the farm hands who got to close to her week-old family. We managed to save one, who grew into a massive, spoiled pet. So, we learned, first-hand, just how much trouble raccoons' innate curiosity and dexterous hands can get them into.

You haven't had a truly pet-disturbed night's sleep until you've had a young coon playing shuffleboard behind your bed room walls until 4:00 in the morning. Every time I banged on the walls to distract her, she came to my hand and invited me to play - through the wall - ARGGH! It took nearly a week of experimentation, but the garage's attic door finally got a coon-proof lock! We also had chickens and ducks, so we had to completely coon-proof the coops and runs - and the goat shed, too, as it turns out. The little monkey found access through the manger. Man, they can squeeze themselves tiny!

So yes, raccoons have the problem-solving (and trouble-creating) ability of a two- to three-year-old child. Think "thirty pound terrible twos!," only each one of the little buggers has two sets of hands!

Good Luck! And keep us posted, especially if you come up with something else that works really well!

 

[lazy gardener]

I also had brief experience with bottle fed coon. In spite of that, after seeing what a coon is capable of when it comes to murdering a flock, I shoot them on sight.

Also had experience with bottle fed grey squirrel. Cute critter who grew to be a massive beast. He'd chew buttons off Dad's shirts in the washer, and scream like a banshee when ever he was caged. He went to live on a game farm when he became a head strong adolescent who liked to chew electric cords.

 

[Unobtanium]

Yup! - Many, many moons ago, in my critter-happy, misspent childhood, my brother rescued a bottle-fed baby raccoon from a hay barn. Mama had been shot for attacking the farm hands who got to close to her week-old family. We managed to save one, who grew into a massive, spoiled pet. So, we learned, first-hand, just how much trouble raccoons' innate curiosity and dexterous hands can get them into.

You haven't had a truly pet-disturbed night's sleep until you've had a young coon playing shuffleboard behind your bed room walls until 4:00 in the morning. Every time I banged on the walls to distract her, she came to my hand and invited me to play - through the wall - ARGGH! It took nearly a week of experimentation, but the garage's attic door finally got a coon-proof lock! We also had chickens and ducks, so we had to completely coon-proof the coops and runs - and the goat shed, too, as it turns out. The little monkey found access through the manger. Man, they can squeeze themselves tiny!

So yes, raccoons have the problem-solving (and trouble-creating) ability of a two- to three-year-old child. Think "thirty pound terrible twos!," only each one of the little buggers has two sets of hands!

Good Luck! And keep us posted, especially if you come up with something else that works really well!

I'm nocturnal. I think I'm just going to use the m4 and neighbors should just be thankful I run it suppressed. Still sounds like a .22, but its tolerable.