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.

Thanks for the advice :) I have read that website, most of it - it has a lot of info. I did read a paragraph that said: MYTH: Bluebirds behave the same way, all the time, everywhere. REALITY: Eastern, Mountain, and Western Bluebirds in different areas behave differently and show different preferences. Even the same birds may behave differently as they age; as seasons, climate, and conditions change; and from one year to the next. Some people who aren't following any of the "rules" still successfully fledge amazing numbers of bluebirds year after year. Avoid "never" and "always" and do whatever works in your area! This made me a little more confident in this nest box. Even though have not seen a single HOSP, I will certainly cut off the perches if need be. And I will not host the Starlings, if need be take the whole thing down. Who knows, I could be as successful as the woodworker down the road!! For cleaning, he recommended taking a hanger and yanking out the old nests, and I will pull it down and rinse it out with a bleach solution at the end of the year. If others (besides Starlings and HOSP) take up residence I will most likely buy the more recommended house to put up in another location. While this one is pretty, I would rather a lighter and easier manageable house to take care of!!! Unfortunately I can't just return this one, so hopefully it will work :) Thanks again for your advice!! Christy :)

I totally understand how you feel. Up until last Friday, I could not have hurt a HOSP. However today I would rather wring their neck as look at them. Three weeks ago we had a hatch of 5 baby bluebirds. We watched them everyday growing like litttle weeds into fully feathered beauties. My husband get telling me the HOSPs would end up killing our babies. He wanted to get a trap, but I stubborningly refused.. A decision I would live to regret. That day was a week ago today when we saw a male HOSP on their house. We found bluebird feathers on the ground. When we opened the box the babies were baldheaded and bleeding. their eyes and beaks had been pecked as well as there wings . My husband handed me the first baby who died in my hand. As I stood there watching my husband pulled 2 more out that were dead. As we walked away the HOSP headed for the house again to finish them off. I took the nest out, asked my husband to get me a spare house bringing it in our house to keep that monster away. I held those little guys and cried my heart out. They died sometime after 1 am when I fell asleep. We ordered a Sparrow trap that night. In 2 days we have caught over a dozen sparrows. I have been responsible for doing away with over half of them and I am not done yet. I guess it takes seeing what I saw to get to where I am.

Twigs? Or do you mean GRASS? because HOSP typically use dried grass with weed seeds and garbage, plus an almost positive sign of their presence is finding white noodle droppings in the box or on the nest box roof. If you mean actually TWIGS, this is almost certainly the work of a House Wren; a native but bothersome bird that prefers wooded/dense/brushy areas for nesting. As far as abandonment on the first attempt, do you have any hawks or cats in the area or immediate vicinity of your boxes? bluebirds are unlikely to abandon young, but if you lose one or both parents, THEN it's possible. That's the 1st thing. The next question, was it young abandoned or eggs? As for the second nesting, did either parent disappear? If you lost a female soon after hatching, then the male wouldn't be able to brood the young to keep them warm, and they could have died. The possibilities are endless! Sounds to me like better monitoring needs to be done! Be sure to check out Sialis.org. Most comprehensive source available for Bluebirds! ~Tim~ Here is a link that might be useful: Sialis.org