You've given me some things to think about. I'll have to consider our fencing for sure. We only have barbed wire bordering the property. We've been lucky with ground predators. There are hundreds of acres of woods behind our property, so they have plenty to eat, and generally have kept away from our property during daylight, but food will be more scarce in winter. Of course, we've mentally prepared ourselves for the chance that we will probably lose some. I'll have to get some pics at some point to show where they like to hang out during the day. The creek bank rises steeply and is several feet above the water there. That almost works as a natural fence along the backside of the property. Not that something won't get through, but the chickens would probably have some fair warning. Yes, hawks and owls are certainly a threat. There is quite a bit of thick brush for hiding in, but those owls are so stealthy! All of our songbirds raise a fuss when a hawk comes round, so that gives a bit of warning and distraction. Oh, there are also donkeys on both sides of our property, so that helps cut down a bit on predators coming in from the side.
I'm thinking this might be the best solution. The main garden is really big. I'm thinking I can reinforce fencing, string fishing line across and use that for free ranging when I'm not outside. I'll need to do something for extra shade. Maybe they can still roam everywhere on days that we spend outside.
