Tell How Predators Got Your Chickens. Save Somebody Else From The Bad Experience

[Missa Chickabee]

Wish I could post pics, but I can't. Alas. I use a sliding bolt latch, and another swivel latch on the lower edge of the door so it can't be pryed open. Summer is the worst, after all the spring nests have been raided, winter is easier...I can see what's coming...from a long way off.

Hi Achickenwrangler#1 ,

Could you explain swivel latch to me? Thnx! or...possibly post a link to an image of one online?

Missa C

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Missa Chickabee here is a picture of the latches I use on my coop and run. You can get the latches at Home Depot or Lowes. The blue clip thing is a extra precaution and you can get them at the same place. No predator will get these open.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

It has a turn swivel so when you close it you twist that to click closed, it won't open with random bumping, fiddling or with waves moving a boat around ( yes I got it at a marine store) the other from a hardware store, when you slide the bolt the handle falls into a groove and notch, it's large enough to use as a door handle. There are thousands of latches out there...just consider does your door close flush to something solid to attach to, or do you need an easier latch to install, just saying, the main bolt needed shims and was a pain to get exactly right. Also, don't get a self latching deal that can lock you in

 

[cheeka]

just for now the sides of the apple crate coop are blocked by "stuff", i left it exposed just for the photo. tomorrow afternoon I will put hardware cloth on the two sides that have slats. the back of the coop is solid wood, and the coop has a full floor, the walls go all the way to the ground, so nothing can get underneath either, but I have placed large flat stones around all the outer edges to prevent digging, the slats in the front are enclosed inside the hw cloth "bridge/tunnel".

so, as long as i'm up to it, the projects for tomorrow are to get those sides closed in, put two more full length strips of vinyl on the dome roof for additional cover and take pictures of the 3 new additions to the family. I always was terrible at math, but chicken math is easy... I went down for one rooster and came home with 2 roos and a bantam ee x cochin pullet... we had a long ride home, but perped and cheeped together the whole way... i'm over the moon

 

[Salmonslayer76]

Just came home to find 3 out of four of my chickens "missing". I found 2 piles of feathers but no carcasses yet. I'm guessing either my neighbors dog or coyotes. I feel horrible for letting them free range in my yard. I never thought I would need to worry about this during the day and they are cooped up very well at night... Never again. Guess I'll be building a bigger run.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Just came home to find 3 out of four of my chickens "missing". I found 2 piles of feathers but no carcasses yet. I'm guessing either my neighbors dog or coyotes. I feel horrible for letting them free range in my yard. I never thought I would need to worry about this during the day and they are cooped up very well at night... Never again. Guess I'll be building a bigger run.

Yes free range is a risk anytime. I like the run idea. Sorry for your loss

 

[cheeka]

Salmonslayer76, I am so sorry for your losses. I know exactly how you feel... I know that mine were taken by a fox. I still have Lily's tail feathers, that's all I ever found of her. I did find some of Barney's feathers, normally shed ones.... after I mowed the lawn where the portable run was... amazingly they didn't get ruined by the mower.
you can be as creative as you desire for building a new run, and we will all be happy to help spur on ideas... first and foremost... our thread starter "OK" is a huge fan of hardware cloth (as are the rest of us...)
you might even have most of the material you need already... like my enclosure, the Chicken Dome, is a re-fashioned pipe car port...

, I wish it was on a happier note that welcomes you aboard... keep us posted!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Sorry to hear about that I know how you feel, do I ever. The only cure is to get more chickens. Load more ammo. Let the dogs out. A run sounds good...too.

 

[SistaChick]

Sorry to hear about your loss SalmonSlayer. I think almost everyone has had it at one time or another. Funny how we are all gungho on getting chickens and excited about it all then bam! Some stupid predator comes in and kills or carry's off our beloved chickens. We mourn but then we get up and do more to keep them safe.

I have a chicken tractor and I used chicken wire like a doofus not realizing I was setting mine up to die. I wasn't about to even try it again but was convinced that I should try and just do better about making them safe! So I converted my chicken tractor into a fort knox chicken tractor with hardwire cloth, latches with carabiners, pad locks (I am serious) on the nesting box doors because they are closer to the ground so that raccoons can't get in there! LOL I am not finished yet, as I want to add a skirting of barbwire like a mote around my castle. LOL

 

[Salmonslayer76]

Thanks for the kind words. My little bantam black Cochin was such a sweet bird and I can't stand to think of her dying this way. Lesson learned. The lone chicken is in her coop/run for the time being. She was so frightened yesterday but the trooper still laid an egg for us today. My wife went to the farm we got her from and got one of her sisters to keep her company this morning. They are safe and secure in the coop and run. It is 1/2" hardware wire on all sides. I'm going to get more carabiner type clasps for the latches. I'll be building a new run, much larger size over the next while, as funds allow, before I add any more new birds. Unless I see a bantam black Cochin come up, trying to explain to me son (who's two) what happened to her will be no fun. She was so sweet, she let him pick her up and pet her anytime with no fuss.