what kind of animal can open the top hatches on a chik-n-barn?

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

We spent an hour looking at coon safe doors at Menards especially after watching a coon get into our cooler while camping. They are SMART and can figure out how to do it. Good luck at getting the little rascal! Your poor roo!

Sorry for your loss!

 

[dixygirl]

Gosh this predator forum is so depressing everyday. Sorry for your loss. I am afraid to put my birds in an outdoor coop after reading all this.

 

[kees]

A raccoon can open almost any kind of latch. In the future, you might consider using a keyed lock or the plastic ties that you pull (loop it through twice and make it really tight). A raccoon could bit through that but those around me haven't figured it out after a year.

 

[fallenweeble]

wow!
okay, today i must take a trip to Osh and find a racoon-proof latch/lock!
(being dumb "city folk" i had NO idea racoons were truely that capable)
and they must be too smart to enter my have-a-heart trap because it is STILL sitting out there empty.

thank you everyone for your kind words and helpful suggestions. we miss ali but being able to prevent a future disaster helps a lot.

 

[Titaniumcranium]

What kind of bait are you trying to catch him with?

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, try baiting with marshmellows and placing the trap along an edge. I think 90% of trapping is placement.

 

[fallenweeble]

ah!
excellent advice.
i have the trap away from an edge and baited with catfood.
tomorrow i will score a bag of marshmellows and move the trap to an edge in order to entice the villian.

thanks ya'll - i LOVE the BYC community.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Here's what I'm wondering, "Was the latch closed when you found your rooster missing?"

If the latched was closed, someone stole your rooster. A coon is not going to re-latch the chik-n-barn. Most people it is second nature to redo latches and doors and what not. I think it is weird how you are only missing one chicken from that chick-n-barn(unless he was in there by himself). Any footprints you don't recognise? If you redo the latch, I would go with a lock of some kind. One that requires a key, to keep both coon and human out.

You could also think about dusting the surfaces a coon would have had to stand on to undo the latch. I don't know what your hutch looks like or if a coon could do it from the ground. If you dust with flour or something footprints would show up next time the coon(or whatever else) came back to see if it could get a second meal.

Good luck catching whatever it is. Sorry to hear about your roo.

-Kim

 

[Titaniumcranium]

You can try sardines in oil too.Leave a piece or two out side the door to entice him in and put more behind the trigger of the trap.

Raccoons ain't the only ones that like fish tho.Cats,skunks,possums and dogs like it too.

You can put some jelly or jam along with the marshmallows,coons like sweet baits more than other animals if you don't want to target them too.

Just remember to put a couple outside to get his interest.They'll go into the trap less reluctantly.

 

[panner123]

Since you said top latch ib a chain link fence, there is only one answer, HUMAN A coon can clain a chain link fence, but almost always falls off trying the latch.