Fortunately, it's up to the property holder to decide how to manage their livestock best. Whether they choose to free range, or confine is simply a matter of choice. Whether they choose to eliminate predators, or whether they are complacent as predators eat their lifestock, is also simply a matter of choice.
And of course, the population of predators in an area will dictate how people manage their livestock. Obviously, if you're destroying a dozen raccoons or opposums a month and still losing chickens, you won't be able to free range, and will have to confine your chickens to Fort Knox. And you may still lose some. Others are fortunate to only have to destroy one a year, or like me, none in three years
And I never closed the henhouse OR the pen once for two months just before spring and I didn't lose one chicken or guinea. I know, I counted them nightly
Some people understand these differences, in not only opinion, but in circumstances. You have to choose what works best for you, where you are located, and based on your own experiences. And those choices will also be based on what you value, what is important to you. What is important to some people, won't be as important to others. That's just life.
For example, the health of my animals, and my family, in the most economic way possible is way more important to me than maurading predators. That's my opinion and my right. Some people regard maurading predators as more valuable than their own pets and livestock. That's okay too. Management of livestock and pets is going to vary from person to person and each one's circumstance.
Unfortunately, there will always be someone to tell you that their way is best, and your way is wrong and it's annoying for sure, but it's still just a matter of opinon. In the end, they can only manage themselves. For the most part though, you can learn a lot from a forum this big because everyone has something to contribute
