raccoon proof latches?

[Supernatural]

We used a padlock hasp like this:

Secured with a locking carabiner like this:

Locking carabiners either have a spring where you pull the thumb grip to one side to open, or like the one we bought, a screw-lock that you have to unscrew to open. You can find those near the ropes and chains at the hardware store, since they're used often for ... spelunking? Rock climbing? I have no idea.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Do you mean a caged raccoon undid a spring loaded clip to let itself out? That, I can readily imagine, since a caged raccoon has nothing much to do but plot escape. I wonder if anyone has had a raccoon open a clip like this in the field?

If they have, I will probably want to change my door latches, even though I use them only on the runs and the chickens are inside a coop at night. The clips aren't that easy for me to operate (you have to press down on a little knob with your thumb and lift up at the same time to extract the clip from the latch hole), so if they aren't even that secure, I might as well go to something else.

 

[JudyK]

I use keyed padlocks on the advise of another experienced poultry keeper. He set up a night vision camera and watched a racoon come back night after night working on his combo lock until one night it got it open.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I have three latches on my door - top, middle and bottom - all of them have keyed locks. So far, none of the raccoons have showed up with lock picking tools

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

We do the padlock hasp with the locking carabiner also, plus the U of wire, but ours is more of a fish type shape like C><. Try as the coons may, they can't manage the spring latch part of the carabiner. They CAN figure the unscrewing type one, but not enough to open the latch, just to unscrew it. Our spring ones, you have to push the spring part down, push the latch part to the side, then push it back, then while it's open, feed it out of the padlock hasp. Then they have to move the wire right so it slips loose.

Also very effective to keep 3 y/os from opening the latches. We have filmed the coons trying to manage the carabiners, they can not manage all 3 parts to open the latch. Then we got a Great Pyr and put her in the pen at night, much to her delight. Now we don't see coons.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
Wow that's one crazy smart and determined raccoon!

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
Wow that's one crazy smart and determined raccoon!

Okay, question about that combo lock.

Was it the twirly kind, or the kind 3(or 4, or whatever) "bars" that you scroll through to get the numbers, 0-9, to line up correctly?

 

[drumstick diva]

Please film the raccoon trying the combo lock - it would be a hit on ebay. Too bad you can't have one that explodes pepper spray in his face when he is lucky enough to open it., or that dye banks use when robbed to ID culprits. Then you'd know just which coon did it .

 

[drumstick diva]

I meant a hit on you tube. I've got ebay on the mind for some reason.

 

[rehsanipoor]

brilliant lock @elmo I have been trying to figure out a solution for this that won't require keys. Thank you!