Racoon or something else?

[havenheart]

We just got our fence up around our hen house. It's a big 8x8 house up on 2 ft legs. It is heavy! The fence is 3 sided, attached to back of our shop. We dont have the chickens in yet as they're not quite big enough...thank goodness! First night before the posts of the electric netting were attached to the wall, something knocked them both to the ground! Hmmm we said, were the neighbors dogs running roughshod through here? We'd noticed empty space under the shop along the wall and resolved to block it with hardware cloth before we put chickens in the run. So my husband righted the posts, attached them and turned on the fence, gate closed. Last night, something chewed a 12 inch hole through the vertical wires, about a foot to 2 ft off the ground until it hit an electrified wire, which stopped it! Apparently since it was braid, it made it thru the first few. One narrow electrical strand was left at the last bite, lol.
What I'm thinking, after hearing other folks talk about them, is that we have trapped a racoon in that space under the shop. What do you think? What else could chew through electric fence like that? I'm scared to put any young chicks out til I solve this dilemma!

 

[Howard E]

photos of this whole ensemble would help..........fence, coop.....all of it.

 

[RRRescue]

We just got our fence up around our hen house. It's a big 8x8 house up on 2 ft legs. It is heavy! The fence is 3 sided, attached to back of our shop. We dont have the chickens in yet as they're not quite big enough...thank goodness! First night before the posts of the electric netting were attached to the wall, something knocked them both to the ground! Hmmm we said, were the neighbors dogs running roughshod through here? We'd noticed empty space under the shop along the wall and resolved to block it with hardware cloth before we put chickens in the run. So my husband righted the posts, attached them and turned on the fence, gate closed. Last night, something chewed a 12 inch hole through the vertical wires, about a foot to 2 ft off the ground until it hit an electrified wire, which stopped it! Apparently since it was braid, it made it thru the first few. One narrow electrical strand was left at the last bite, lol.
What I'm thinking, after hearing other folks talk about them, is that we have trapped a racoon in that space under the shop. What do you think? What else could chew through electric fence like that? I'm scared to put any young chicks out til I solve this dilemma!

Trail cam will id whatever is there...enclosing any animal with no means of exit is an unneccessary death sentance....please post pics...sprinkling flour around area will leave footprints description sounds confusing...if the space uder the garage was blocked off with hardware cloth, how did animal chew thru the electric fencing??? It could be a litter under garage momma is trying to get to...