Instar8, you've had a wide range of answers and by now you can probably see that there are as many different experiences with free ranging as there are people who have tried it. For your situation, this is what I would suggest: build as large a secure yard as you can afford. I mean Fort Knox! It must be covered with welded wire or hardware cloth if it is to be secure from predators. On days when you are home to supervise, let the chickens out to free range. This will conserve the "resources" within the pen. On days you have to leave for work before dark, keep the chickens in their secure pen. They will go into their house at dark and you won't have to worry that something will get them. You will lose the odd bird if you free range, but MOST mass losses occur when the birds are confined in an insecure house or yard. I have been free ranging my chickens for four years and the WORST losses I have had were two pullets in the same week. We have all the usual predators around: raccoons, foxes, coyotes, weasels, mink, fishers, hawks... but we also have an abundance of voles and cottontails that are easier prey than the chickens. A good rooster who free-ranges with his girls earns his keep. He cannot protect them from predators, but he does keep them together and keep them from wandering too far.

We've had a variety of predators in the past 4 yrs that we've kept chickens. I wouldn't count a hawk out for getting a full grown large breed chicken. I've seen it with my own eyes. They might not be able to take off with it but will eviscerate and eat what they want on the spot. We have coyotes, fox, bobcat and even one of our own dogs that like to help themselves if able. We've had oppossum in the nests, who like to have an egg dinner from time to time. We have a coop that is locked at night and a fenced in area we let them roam. The fence is not fully secure but is within another fenced area which at least gives them a fighting chance if say a stray or neighbor dog comes sniffing around. We really really enjoy our chickens but they are not pets. They come running when we walk out there but are not lap pets, although we do have our favorites. We have a lot of chickens and while I wouldn't want to lose one, it isn't as devastating as if we only had a handful. I prefer to run the risk and let them free range for a portion of the day, if we are here. They are great insect control and keep the grass/weeds at bay around fence lines and the barn. I think their eggs are much, much better with the most orange yolks when they free range, too. It is a matter of preference, I think. If I only had 5-10 chickens I might not take the chance. Lori

Well, not everyone who lives out in the country carries a gun and shoot poisonous snakes, but I have chickens and grandchildren and myself to protect. Some country residents just have a home and yard and most yards do not have lush cottage gardens. It is like an oasis to the wildlife, and for the most part, I love that about it, but it's different when you have livestock and pets. They attract predators and predators are not cute and friendly if you are the one they are after. I am not afraid of snakes, just wary of them. If you leave them alone, they won't bite you. Only when they are protecting themselves or their nest do they become aggressive. Even rattlers and copperheads will run away if they can. But I have to admit, the "silent but deadly" thing makes me a bit uneasy, and I'm not talking about passing sneaky gas! So living in the country does not mean you would have the problem I do. It is just a way of life for ranchers & farmers and small homesteaders like me. Comes with the territory. Even deer can be deadly. Their hooves are razor sharp. And wild turkeys are fierce birds. Nothing you want to fool with unless you know what you are doing. As for the raccoon, I have never shot at one before. I don't want to kill anything, but after seeing what they do to chickens, I had gradually gotten to the point that I couldn't just live and let live. They are NOT the cute and friendly little bandits you see on Walt Disney films or other movies. They can be very aggressive and certainly murderers of farm fowl. They enjoy killing for the sport. And THAT ticks me off! I've lived here 14 years and seen what they do to other animals and it isn't pretty. This is the first time I ever shot at one though. Just fed up! Actually, I AM very feminine, but I was taught to be self-sufficient. I grew up around wildlife and was taught how to deal with them. We had orphaned wild animals for pets many times and we were taught how to take care of them. Living next door to my grandparents like we did was so interesting. It was really like living in the Old West, being around Grampa & Grannie. He had an old Model-T truck and drove very slowly. Grampa would say to people as they sped by us on the highway, "Durned fools - going so fast they can't see anything!" or he'd say, "Slow down! You're gonna cause a wreck!" Grampa was ALWAYS looking at the scenery everywhere we went. Grannie would tell Grampa, "Look where you're going and stop going where you're looking! People will think you're drunk or something!" You can imagine the looks and honking they got when he drove on those busy California Freeways and in the cities in that old truck. (hehehe) One time when he and Grannie took us grandkids to Calico Ghost Town, we were walking around the town like other tourist, looking at things and taking pictures. After awhile, Grampa got tired, so we sat down to rest on one of the benches outside the general store. Grampa had on his favorite Stetson hat, a pair of old, comfortable boots, striped bib-overalls, a pair of tobacco-stained, long handled underwear with a plaid flannel over-shirt. Grannie had on blue jeans, a blouse with a man's plaid flannel over shirt, a big straw hat and sturdy walking shoes. As we sat there looking around, Grampa took out his wheat papers and his pouch filled with Prince Albert pipe tobacco and began rolling himself a Taylor Made cigarette. They were hideous looking things. All misshapen and slobbery from licking it when he sealed it, but he wasn't making it for looks. When he finished, he took out a match, struck it on the seam of his overalls, held it in the air for an instant and then carefully lit his Tailor Made, taking long drags with deep satisfaction. The aroma was very pleasant. We always watched this magical process with the deepest interest and admiration. And then we looked up and saw that some tourists who were walking by about that time, were also looking on with great interest and they began taking pictures of my grandparents. Pretty soon other people stopped to take pictures, too - they thought my grandparents were part of the ghost town attractions! We all got the biggest kick out of that. "Durned fools!" Grannie said under her breath. "You'd think they never saw a man smoke before." Shy little Grannie was a bit embarrassed being the focus of their interest, but she had a good sense of humor, and afterward, she thought it was funny too. We kids always loved going places with them, but this was especially cool! I had an very unusual childhood, to say the least. Feminine but able, ~Annie

It was raccoons that got the first failed Bluebird nest, because they were good sized nestlings and one morning they were gone. So something got them overnight. I then baffled the snag using sheet metal flashing, and that DOES work for all climbing critters, but that didn't stop the House Wrens who got the final nesting. I knew it was wrens because I found an eggshell on the ground that had a tiny hole in the shell, and the Wrens were flocking around the nest hole later in the day (poor Blues). Dante, I can't speak for Lisa, but I don't "eradicate" House Wrens as they are native birds, just don't encourage them. They like brushy, shrubby areas (as do many birds, such as Cardinals and all Sparrows), and I've removed most of that. Also you can remove their sticks from a nestbox where they start to build a nest. Goldfinch, when the Blues were nesting, I did do a little House Sparrow control. I had a nest box installed on the side of the house that had a Van Ert trap in it. There are not a lot of House Sparrows here, but that did remove a couple of males that were trying to nest in the yard and may have posed a threat to the Blues.