Well if it helps - Before we put up a fence we free ranged our girls without it for about a year, never lost anyone. And we live about 3 miles from National Park (forest) plus we owned a pretty wild forest ourselves.
We didn't "watch over them" very much and they were pretty good. We didn't...
I find letting chickens out to free range in the afternoons when people get home from work is a common thing out here - Don't do it!! The predators are out exactly around that time, dusk, and if the chickens are always out just at that time it may train the predators to know - Hey, there's...
I can't live with chickens not free ranging/pasturing. Mine are in a very large, well fenced, wild-looking pasture surrounded by wilderness, so I say, as long as you have a good fence or something to keep stray dogs out, you should be fine. Keep in mind what predators are commonly known in your...