Racoons are very sharp creatures and can open cages and pens that aren't designed well. If your wire mesh is too large and your chickens stay close to they edge they will lay wait and grab them thru the cage.
A comment on that page led me to read about guard llamas, guard donkeys and mini horses. I hadn't realised llamas could be used as guard animals at all.
- Being that dogs and coyotes are among the greatest predators of sheep, a llama can be very effective in alerting and protecting a flock of sheep against such predators. A good guard llama is very cautious and curious of these predators and will usually charge them, and if the predator does not retreat, kick and stomp them.
- One llama is capable of guarding up to 2,000 sheep in up to 300 acres, and can decrease the amount of predation in a flock up to 100%.
- Also, llamas ... often will protect birthing sheep and will alert producers to sick or hurt sheep.
On my dads farm one of our goats had babies (kids?), after a few weeks we allowed them to roam the pastures. For some reason the donkey had something against one of the kids and stomped it to death, then proceeded to throw its dead body around like a ragdoll for hours.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raccoon-chicken-predators-...
Racoons are very sharp creatures and can open cages and pens that aren't designed well. If your wire mesh is too large and your chickens stay close to they edge they will lay wait and grab them thru the cage.