Whenever we had chickens we had to lock them in at night. They survived until I got up to let them out, lol.

The ONE time I was late coming home and did not get back to after dark, something got in and got them all. It was HORRIBLE. I felt so bad.

I think my solution is going to be putting a door on the small part of their run (4'x8') that goes out into the main area. The hen house is butted up against and opens into this little run so I could lock that run in the evening or even when we left out of town and they'd still have access to the outside, just not as much as normal. But that run is the covered part of their outside area so they spend a good majority of their time in there anyways (shade and rain protection). It's made of very heavy duty wire with squares too small for a coon or possum to get through. I suppose if something wanted to tunnel under the chickens could still be in danger, but I can't keep them in Fort Knox. :?

We have raccoons in my area too. My husband installed a motion sensor light near the chicken house and then surrounded their pens with cinder blocks. We've never had a problem of them getting to our chickens.

Be sure your chicken wire covers completely. They are tricky. We ended up with the shotgun solution, after I went in the henhouse and the fat raccoon was on top of the divider wall. By then, he had already gotten nearly a third of the flock, and thought there was a red and white bucket on top of the henhouse just for him. He was getting in just below the rafters,an area I thought would have been too small.

The one we had would leave feet and a pile of feathers. If it turns out to be dogs, some of the dog tag money (in NY anyway) goes to replacing predation.

WE had a raccoon in our subdivision yard & it ate most of my big fish out of my pond. I bought very cheap hot sauce from Aldi's & watered it down, then sprinkled it around the pond & at the base of all the trees in my yard. Raccoons don't like the smell. We haven't had a problem since. I just re-sprinkle it every once in awhile to keep the smell "fresh". Maybe if you did this around the chicken house, it would help. I got the idea from some place on the internet.

We had raccoons raiding our fish pond & killing fish & tearing up plants until my DH installed a low current electric wire used for fencing in animals. It's about 10 inches off the ground making it difficult for anything to step over or go under without getting a good sting. It's on a timer & turns on after dark & off just before dawn. (No more problem.) I don't know if this would be feasible for you to surround your chicken pen.

I sure am going to follow this one since we just built a chicken coop. We get our chickens on the 27th. I hope I don't have the problems that you all have had.

We always lock ours up at night too.

We have fox issues here.
My brother saw it carrying one of our chickens across the yard. We have netting over our cage so animals can't get in anywhere.
Haven't heard of racoons going after them.

you need to go to tractor supply and get the smaller fencing...not chicken wire because predatory critters can chew thru that thin wire...the kind of wire that they use to make rabbit cages with...the openings are too small for raccoons to reach thru and grab the chickens...just put it around the bottom...i think its 2 or 3 feet tall...thats all you need