This article matches my experiences. A good dog, the right breeds, and natural cover for your chickens, go a long way towards eliminating large-scale loss to predators when free ranging.
That was a great article. Many good points - more on the FENCING needed as I have found out the hard way that 4 inch spaced wire will not keep chickens in. Same for 'flighty birds' in general.
One reason 'Free Range' does not work. I seem to be blessed with rebels and contrarians. Cannot believe these ingrates decide to lay out in the bushes when I have provided such a nice hen house and nesting boxes. :-(
Amethyst Gem, Americana, Speckled Sussex, EE, OE and Cuckoo Maran - no matter. They prefer to lay in a group nest outside the hen house. Will have to lock them up for a full day to start them over.
Top notch article with commonsense advice about attitude and approaches.
The notes about breed and temperament choices are appreciated - a lot of people do not consider these things when deciding how to "keep" their birds.