Need To Secure Hutch

Mother Hubbard

Mother Hubbard

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So, today we've been notified that some unscrupulous people have been round the neighbourhood, knocking on doors and checking whose in. Now I live in a hard to find place so they have to be determined.

After my husband, father and neighbour collared one lad in a van and escorted him off our land, we've taken their details and the police were quick to respond and are patrolling the neighbourhood, but I have learnt they have been around checking out the houses and even plodding across fields to get to the rear of the gardens. I have CCTV both front & back to cover the hutch and over the garage.
Now they are clearly looking to rob anything on offer i.e. from garages etc., but I'm now wondering if I put padlocks on my hutches. Even if they were to open the big storage box, their is nothing in their of interest - hay, feed & fleeces etc. but would they injure my brood? The CCTV would pick them up but I'm not sure that would be enough of a deterrent.

So I was thinking of adding a hasp & stable lock and then padlock.

Thoughts?

@Tim my go to DIY man!
 
Oh golly! So sorry your neighbourhood is being targeted :( We were targets a few years back so I know how it feels. Nowhere is safe these days apart from a dessert island.
A useful deterrent we've found are CCTV stickers with things like 'smile! You're on camera!' My friends had a random door knocker on camera about to knock the door then leave without knocking as soon as they see the sticker. It's as if they were going to blag their way in to see what they can nick. But it's too late, theyve seen the face ;) Low and behold, two days later a burglary happends down the road, same guy. Just an idea to throw at you :)
 
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That's awful! :( I would definitely secure it.

There were a lot of cases near me of people breaking into gardens, stealing stuff and letting piggies and rabbits lose for laughs or nicking them too.

I wouldn't put anything past these people, best to be safe than sorry! Hope those... Interesting people get caught and soon!
 
That's true, I hadn't thought of that.
We've closed the main gate now and whilst it's a pain for other residents were trying to tell them to carrying on with the security.
 
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Cavy Kung-Fu said:
That's awful! :( I would definitely secure it.

There were a lot of cases near me of people breaking into gardens, stealing stuff and letting piggies and rabbits lose for laughs or nicking them too.

I wouldn't put anything past these people, best to be safe than sorry! Hope those... Interesting people get caught and soon!
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You're right of course, I guess I just needed some validation really. Right that's what I'm doing next.
Husband has ordered more camera's because he tends to be away in the week so it's the extra security. I'll measure up tomorrow morning, takes some photo's and go get some of those hasp things and padlocks.

No-one is gonna hurt my babies or I will personally castrate them!
I don't like blood but I'd make exceptions :gd:
 
I would secure the hutch, are your piggies in the open, or in a shed or garage if they are in the open could the cage be tipped over.
 
Mother Hubbard said:
You're right of course, I guess I just needed some validation really. Right that's what I'm doing next.
Husband has ordered more camera's because he tends to be away in the week so it's the extra security. I'll measure up tomorrow morning, takes some photo's and go get some of those hasp things and padlocks.

No-one is gonna hurt my babies or I will personally castrate them!
I don't like blood but I'd make exceptions :gd:
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Bear traps, electric fences and pitfall traps!:box:
 
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Mother Hubbard said:
No-one is gonna hurt my babies or I will personally castrate them!
I don't like blood but I'd make exceptions :gd:
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This has an idea written all over it for another sign
"WARNING! This property has an automatic testicle removing device for unauthorised entry"
 
Tiamolly123 said:
I would secure the hutch, are your piggies in the open, or in a shed or garage if they are in the open could the cage be tipped over.
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They are in the open, on the patio, nearest part of the house possible. There is a fence behind them (neighbours), they are cornered on 3 sides to be honest via the house, fence and storage unit. It would take some work to go to the lengths of tipping them, but that is something I need to consider.
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Bear traps, electric fences and pitfall traps!:box:
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Now you're talking my language...:))
 
We were burgled a couple of years back when we were asleep in our beds.:yikes: They were after my OH's works vehicle because it was a 4 x 4 (he needs it as he works on building sites). They never found the keys so the vehicle was safe but they took my handbag and his iphone (a work's one). It was a real shock that somebody had been in our house while we were upstairs. The Police were round in 15 minutes after being informed which we were impressed about. Apparently a gang was targeting our area and were after 4 x 4's and other prestige motors and had been along the southern corridor for about 3 months! The gang were eventually caught and put away. That didn't help us though. We had to put in CCTV and a burglar alarm and didn't sleep properly for about 6 months after as every little sound would wake us up!

Do everything you can @Mother Hubbard to secure your property and your lovely piggies!
 
Like I said @Betsy, no one is safe these days :( We have nice things and soon become targets, I had a break-in a while ago. The cost of the damage was more than the value which was stolen, they don't care what damage they do or the phscological problems they cause, I was a mess for a long time afterwards x
 
Tim said:
Like I said @Betsy, no one is safe these days :( We have nice things and soon become targets, I had a break-in a while ago. The cost of the damage was more than the value which was stolen, they don't care what damage they do or the phscological problems they cause, I was a mess for a long time afterwards x
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So were we!
 
So true. I'd be a mess for reasons I can't explain, but we actually moved here for security reasons - so this is my safe haven.

I'll be taking all precautions. All neighbours on alert now.
 
I would rather be safe than sorry and padlock all of it, even perhaps chain the hutches to the wall so they can't tip them or anything. Some people can be very malicious for no reason. Sorry your area is being targeted Lil x
 
Mother Hubbard said:
They are in the open, on the patio, nearest part of the house possible. There is a fence behind them (neighbours), they are cornered on 3 sides to be honest via the house, fence and storage unit. It would take some work to go to the lengths of tipping them, but that is something I need to consider.


Now you're talking my language...:))
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Brilliant idea cavy
 
I would certainly bracket the cage to the fence so it can't be lifted or tipped and padlock cage.
Get a big guard dog loose sign too!
Might sound crazy but my little brother has got a fab padlock that has a really loud alarm if it's touched and he rigs it up with fine wire across the main path to his shed (he just had a sports bike stolen but thankfully got it back). And if anyone trips it the alarm goes off like a panic alarm. I wouldn't put it close to pigs but somewhere in your garden would do the trick.
 
Thanks everyone for your great idea's. So many things I hadn't thought of, we've just got so used to not having to worry about it, going to bed with the back door unlocked, windows open and all sorts.

Now that's clearly no longer the case, so I'm prepared to throw all sorts at it.

Luckily the hubby got the extra camera's today and has installed them already so we have even more visibility. More to do yet though clearly, especially further securing the hutches.
 
Hope you managed to get it all sorted. We always lock everything up. Another thing we do is take our car keys to bed with us as its the first thing thieves tend to snatch when breaking in. We also have a terrier who will bark as a leaf rustling 3 miles away so... :P
 
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