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Shoutout to the cheap plastic coop latch from the hardware store
The flimsy hook snapped clean off Tuesday morning, letting all six hens out into my vegetable patch. I had to use a carabiner and some zip ties as a quick fix while I scrambled before work. What's the most durable latch you've actually used that can handle daily chicken traffic?
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schmidt.amy2mo ago
Honestly, skip the hardware store latches altogether. Go to a farm supply and get a proper gate latch meant for livestock. Those plastic things are junk.
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lucas5512mo ago
Switched to a simple slide bolt latch from the tractor supply. It's all metal and has a little loop that stops it from sliding open on its own. My birds push against the door all the time and it hasn't budged in two years.
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skylerg1728d ago
You're lucky it's held up but those slide bolts have a bad habit of rusting up after a season or two. The little loop thing gets gummed up with dirt and debris, then it's a real pain to slide. Plastic latches are actually better in some ways since they don't corrode and they're easier for the birds to work with if you ever want them to learn to push it shut themselves. Had a slide bolt seize on me mid-winter once and had to drill the thing out.
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