Mine have been free ranging since they were about 5 weeks. They are going on 9 weeks now and I have had no losses. Initially I let them out only on my days off (I would work 2 days, then be off 2 days). After the first week I let them out even when I had to work. They would stay out until my son or husband would close the run gate after they put themselves to bed. That was early in the spring when it got dark earlier. Now they stay out until dark and I will close the gate when I get home from work about 8:30pm. They don't go far from the house, they like to hang out under the shrubs in front of the house and take turns eating grass/bugs/clover, taking dust baths, and taking naps. On my days off I go out with a treat of some kind in the afternoon and call them up and they will come running to see what I have brought. I know there are predators around because we live in the country and I know there are coons, possums, bobcat, fox, coyotes as well as hawks. I don't know how I have been so lucky to not have had any problems...yet. One of the main reasons I got chickens was for bug control and free range eggs, so I am prepared to lose some to predators, but so far...
