Free ranging - should I trim flight feathers?

EggSighted4Life said:

We have had a couple of attacks on dogs. My neighbor said he found a cougar print (same animal different word) on his property a couple weeks back and doesn't lock his girls up (I cannot verify his credibility). I always lock mine up with the rare occasion of waiting for someone to go in and accidentally forgetting. Also I have 3 dogs and they are definitely a threat as a pack. Individually not as much because they know they don't have much back up. But when together the pack mentality seems to blur any lines of self preservation and they go all in. Not to my own animals but to anything they are hunting, playing with, or approaching. That's one reason why we don't often take them out at the same time.

Since I have yet to employ clipping I will keep your trimming suggestion in mind. I have mostly 4 foot stock yard fencing and find the place they most often go over is where my gates have solid tops. All though a few have flown directly over. Lighter breeds, luckily just a dividing fence on my property. Also, they seem to play follow the leader!

A couple years back I would have done a lot for a property on the river. I have learned a lot since keeping chickens and realize that may be more of a challenge than not. :/  The trees aren't bad but a water view would be nice as well. At least I can hit the beach or the river in under a few miles....

I have heard hot wire works well for keeping predators out as well as chickens and larger livestock in without to much damage. That is a route I will consider if I ever truly need to.

@Stephine
 That is a beautiful meadow! All of my chickens hang out in tall grasses when they can. They like the bugs as well as some of them lay down just the right way to provide areal cover.

While little dogs may not provide much protection, not all of them are obsessive yappers and have found some (neighbors) to be quite good at alerting to things which should be payed attention to. 

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