Trying to get an idea of how many out there do free range vs chicken runs/enclosed.

[BDutch]

We rarely have hawks where I live. Lost one bantam hen to a buzzard.
Some chickens did disappear. More likely by a fox than a hawk.

I dont free range my chickens the whole day. Only when we are @ home , if possible for more than 2 hours each day.

If I let the chickens free range a very long time, day after day, they tend to go further away from home and the risk of predation increases. We can’t keep roosters (city rules/neighbours close by).

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

This I'm pretty emotional about. We let our sick hen free range because she kept eating the bedding, and making her crop problem worse..she free ranged with at least one rooster..we NEVER had an issue...she passed away due to her crop issue..but our coop was attacked by a mink/weasel we aren't 100 percent on which one..and the predator took out our flock in one night.. we have replaced our flock and my husband is actively sealing up our coop which is roomy but we won't let them out in the run without us out there. I can see benefits to both. When waddles free ranged her and the rooster always stayed close to the long weeds beside the woods unless they were at our house portion and even then they like hanging out under our wrap around porch..

LORD JESUS IS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We free range most of the time now, with virtually no losses to predators. Our last two losses were to a neighbor's dog and he has since gotten rid of it. We lost a cockerel to a hawk several years ago because he brought up the rear to do battle while the rooster and rest of the flock sought shelter in the coop; and several years prior to that a hawk or hawks got most of our hatchlings. But we only have hawks in the spring so now we make sure not to have chicks outside while hawks are in the area, so no worries. Our three dogs keep coyotes away and I suspect also deter raccoons as well. The chickens go out well after sunup and get locked up at dusk.