U_Stormcrow
Crossing the Road
I shouldn't laugh, @aart , but that picture is worth thousands of words.
As to the original subject, I have a largish run (4' livestock fence, with poultry netting attached to the bottom 3') which measures 27' x40' but free range my birds during the day. They go in the run and house only overnight. The run is being expanded in the near-ish term, mostly to make room for a second hen house and allow for temporary partitioning when needed.
The birds have their choice of an acre cleared, 3/4 acre under-brushed, and about three acres on the periphery which are moderately wooded. Protected by an oversized electric fence (rated 30 miles, actual size, 3 strands at .5 miles each, plus additional uncharged strands). Its impractical to protect from avian predators - in fact, we just had a hawk swoop over the range about half hour ago...
My birds are not pets, I've come to accept that some airborne predation is unfortunately unavoidable. Even if I could watch them 24/7, my eyes can't be everywhere. We are in a remote area, sitting on 30 acres surrounded by undeveloped pine lowlands, largely undeveloped hardwood hammocks, large cow pastures, and several commercial grape vineyards as well as a moderate amount of stand pine plantings for timber. Have done what I can to protect from four-footed predators, but those who take their meals on the wing can't be excluded, best I can do is try to ensure that the birds exposed to those dangers weigh as much as the local avian predators.
As to the original subject, I have a largish run (4' livestock fence, with poultry netting attached to the bottom 3') which measures 27' x40' but free range my birds during the day. They go in the run and house only overnight. The run is being expanded in the near-ish term, mostly to make room for a second hen house and allow for temporary partitioning when needed.
The birds have their choice of an acre cleared, 3/4 acre under-brushed, and about three acres on the periphery which are moderately wooded. Protected by an oversized electric fence (rated 30 miles, actual size, 3 strands at .5 miles each, plus additional uncharged strands). Its impractical to protect from avian predators - in fact, we just had a hawk swoop over the range about half hour ago...
My birds are not pets, I've come to accept that some airborne predation is unfortunately unavoidable. Even if I could watch them 24/7, my eyes can't be everywhere. We are in a remote area, sitting on 30 acres surrounded by undeveloped pine lowlands, largely undeveloped hardwood hammocks, large cow pastures, and several commercial grape vineyards as well as a moderate amount of stand pine plantings for timber. Have done what I can to protect from four-footed predators, but those who take their meals on the wing can't be excluded, best I can do is try to ensure that the birds exposed to those dangers weigh as much as the local avian predators.
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I just make a point to be home at/around "dark time" so I can lock them up safely in their buildings, since the predators we have around here mostly come by during the nights. I worry a bit about the few that choose to roost 30' up in the trees, but they only go up there if I'm not home in time to prevent them from going up there. 
) and I'm sure all the scent-marking they do discourages any from coming on the property, except maybe when they're starving. Before I got the dogs, I lost birds on a regular basis, run or not. I have also moved towards more predator-savvy breeds, like Icelandics and Aracaunas.
