While a fox in the henhouse isn’t an issue in the city, raccoons are. Raccoon-proofing your coop is the single most important thing you can do to keep your chickens safe. Coon-proof means wire fencing on the top and all sides. Make sure they can’t dig underneath the fence or undo a latch. You can let you chickens roam free in your backyard during the day and they’ll put themselves to bed at dusk, trotting back to the coop and hopping up onto their roosts. Then it’s your job to lock the gate behind them before nightfall. Cats and full-grown chickens get along fine together, but dogs and chickens just don’t mix—the temptation is more than any dog should be asked to resist.

Even if you tried your best, it’s possible a chicken will at some point fall prey to a raccoon or dog. The heartache is real; some people give up having hens because it’s just too sad when bad things happen to good chickens.

See also:

Rats