Neighbors setting up for disaster

[Frannabelle]

So my neighbors decided to get chickens, took a liking to the idea based on my flock. Husband built a coop house. He built a 3 sided angled house butting up against his garage. He only built the walls 3/4 length up and left an angled gap where the roof slants to front. The gaps on the 2 sides are a good 2 feet wide, angling downward. NO WIRE!! All opened up. The pop door is a wide gap. They do not shut the door at night (not that it matters I realize) I didn't know that the side were not secured with at least chicken wire until the little girl there asked me over to see her new chicks. I did not say anything to the girl, but wonder if I should say something to the Mom. The Husband/Dad in question seems to me a bit of a know-it-all, based on past conversations. Nice, but seems to need to be right about all topics, and I don't want to appear to be that way to them, the all knowing chicken lady. But I do know that raccoon's flourish here, and we have great horned owls (the night predators I know of)
What say you people? Suggest politely? I would hate for that little girl to go to her coop in the morning and find a bloody massacre, which I know will happen eventually.

Thanks

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Oooh, gosh. That's a coop between a rock and a hard place you got there.

 

[aggie9296]

May mention that you had a friend lose some to raccoons until they put in more secure wiring.

 

[mamadukes5]

I would tell the parents to close it up, at least with wire, before they start attracting raccoons. The raccoons at my house open the doors of the Jeep that I used to keep the bags of feed in, I'm pretty sure they'll be pulling chicks through the gap you're describing within the first couple of nights. If they don't listen to you, at least you tried.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

"Hey, that pretty nice! Would you mind if I make a few suggestions?"

 

[Patricia Jane]

Quote:
x2

 

[rngrbill]

Introduce him to BYC and the preditor thread or coop thread. suggest he post some pics of his coop. and let the comments fly.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Quote:
x2

 

[KandiandJerry]

I would suggest nicely....and if he doesn't take the advice.....at least you tried.....

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I had a neighbor once who brought home some colored chicks for the grandkids around Easter time. She put them in a small run behind her garage that consisted of 2' high poultry wire. I told her that they wouldn't last. She said that she didn't expect them to... I walked back there each day to check and less than a week later the coons had spread chick parts around the yard.