The fair judge's feather comment made me rethink my run setup

I was at the county fair last Saturday and this older judge was looking at my Buff Orpington, said her feathers looked 'too perfect' and asked if she ever got to free range. I told him no, she stays in the run because I'm scared of hawks and cars. He just nodded and said birds kept inside all the time get brittle feathers and weak legs, then pointed at the dust bath area in her coop. That one comment got me thinking, so this week I let the girls out for two hours each evening with me watching. They scratched up the whole yard, ate a ton of bugs, and honestly seem happier already. Anyone else start free ranging after keeping them locked up for years, how did you handle the predator worry?

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