Most predators hunt at night but some will also come out during the day. Free ranging is a risk. Sooner or later a predator will grab a bird. I've had it happen so now my birds stay in their nice large covered pens. I also have electric wires around my coops and pens and concrete under the gates as well as all of the pens covered with good heavy duty netting. I have a very powerful fence charger so anything that touches my wires will hurt. I want them to hurt so they won't test them again. I think the adult predators teach their young that a bird isn't worth getting zapped for. Some predators will jump over a fence especially if it's not that high. All of my fences are 5' high. I once had a coyote go over the fence into a pen. It also went back out as well as some of the birds. I lost a few birds that day. Good luck...
If you're not going to put your chickens in a secure pen you should consider having a guardian dog stay with your chickens 24/7. It'll safe you a lot of grief and money in the long run. You need a fence around your property for chickens with an electric fence around it.Hope this helps! Most people who free range know losing chickens comes with the territory but there are many things you can do to improve the odds of them surviving.The type of chickens has a lot to do with it.You should avoid free ranging chickens with feathers that hide their faces as they can't see well enough to avoid predators.
