Who here locks there coop with a "lock"?

[celticbird]

The pyrenese is a smart idea......I have raised gamefowl for yeaaaaaars....anyone familar with good gamefowl knows two things.....one they are expensive and two people love to steal them. An old timer who taught me alot about gamefowl came to my place one day to look at the pens id set up. He saw them and burst out laughing I asked him what he was laughing at he said the locks. I told him well I just don't want people stealing my birds. He walked up to one of my brood pens grabbed the wire and yanked four of the SCREWS AND WAShers id put the wire on with popped off and landed on the ground he reached in and grabbed my favorite broodcock looked at me and asked u still feel safe. He made a very valid point locks only keep honest people honest and if u have anytype of wire on your pens it can be ripped off or cut. As for predators I can understand that but just remember coons are smart as are many types of critters when they can break the locck the will still look for a week spot so make sure your whole pen is as strong as the lock.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
This is true. However, try explaining to the police that your birds disappeared without a trace. Fox, raccoon, possum, skunk, coyote, dog, whatever "could" have gotten them (us chicken people probably would know what it was, but the police need evidence) If the pen or lock is CUT, it was obviously human!!!
My pen could theoretically be dis-assembled and moved, therefore a human could probably pick part of it up or find some way in, especially with pliers or wire cutters. However, I've attached foothold traps to the T-posts that hold it down and they will hold a relatively large dog down (think Lab x coon hound mix). I feel fairly safe with my pen the way it is secured down, and what is secured to those T-posts are cattle panels with smaller wire on top of that. The smaller wire might be ripped off or easily cut, but any human that rips the cattle panels apart is welcome to the birds I guess. We mainly have problems with pilfering kids and druggies, they usually just grab "whatever isn't nailed down" right quick, so in order to steal anything from my pen I made sure they'd at least have to bring some bolt cutters. Short of sleeping there with my shotgun (yes I have considered it) making it hard for them is the best you can do.

 

[Pele]

I am in a more urban setting, so I have high wooden privacy fences all around my backyard. I padlock the side-yard door in the fence, and then for the coop I have sliding latch locks to deter the smart predators.

I think padlocking your back yard is just smart if you live in an urban setting. I wouldn't want to wake up one morning with a passed out hobo trying to pass as a lawn ornament back there. "I KNOW you arn't a gnome! Shoo!"

 

[Urban Chaos]

after my Lab/GSP mix showed me that she could unlatch the coop (9 lost) I decided on padlocks on both doors and the cover to the external egg boxes. The door to the run is latched with a sliding latch on the inside (we reach in). The keys are hung on a nail, so its not human proof - but we are surrounded by dog owners and all our dogs make the biggest racket anytime the wind blows, so I'm not worried about that.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I lock my brooders and the gate to the fence. When I'm sleeping, I don't know what thieves are doing.

 

[sally4500]

I do. I lock the chicken's door with a latch on the INSIDE of the coop; the 1st human door with another latch, and the human entrance door with a dead bolt. No critters will ever get in.

 

[Jerseycoop]

Quote:
That's horrible! I hope the 2 legged pedator got a little karma back his way....

 

[SassyKat6181]

My run doors latch from the inside and I have a keyed padlock on the human door. I noticed that my egg numbers were WAY down and started to wonder when one day our horse caretaker told me she took 4 eggs that morning

I immediately put a lock on the door and was back up to 10-12 out of 12 each day after that. (I was down to about 6 per day) I would gladly have given her eggs if she had asked, but I will not be stolen from.

 

[Life is Good!]

We do. Have a sliding bolt latch below handle, a padlock hasp at chest height. Pop door has blind hinges (they're on the inside of the door, so when door is closed shut, the hinges are not exposed) as well as locking hook-eyes (I think they're called 'child safe'?).

We're in an 'urban rural' area - meaning all our neighbors on our street have 2-4 acres, but the subdivisions nearby are on 1/8 acre lots with fair amount of growing crime. While I still feel safe in our street - reading the police blotter reveals MANY interesting facts about folks around us. Not willing to take a chance.

Like someone else posted - economy+desperation=strange behavior. Not willing to risk it. Pain in the butt when I forget to bring out the key with me. But the sleep is well worth it! Especially now that weather is warm enough for open windows (and crowing roo kind of gives away the farm!)

 

[billfields]

My coop has a regular house-type locking doorknob on it....but I don't lock it because I can't remember where I put the key to keep it safe.