Quote:
Best choices are:
1) If you can not tolerate losses of any chickens, then heavily covered run or confinement to raptor proof coop.
2) If light lossess of free-rsnge birds tolerable (sometimes on intervals of years between losses): then any combination of following; livestock guarding dog, cover in locations chickens can retreat to when threatened, and / or adult roosters.
If you keep bantams, silkies or some of the smaller more delicate chickens, then confinement of your poultry will likely be warranted. All in all, it best not to be stupid with willful intent to harm or confine your pest unless you have permits that are darn hard to get.
I follow choice number two with all three options. I loose more birds to heat than to raptors and most of my birds are free-range. Heat losses are restricted to the confined birds.
So keep this all in proper perspective, how much are the birds (chickens and raptors) worth to you?