The best is to keep them in a trailer and secure them with automatic chicken door with light sensible switch and electric fence, for example powered by a car battery. The door opens and closes automatically in just the right time to secure them during the night against predators but allow them to walk around during the day.
For shadow and against predator birds you put a -real - military camouflage net over a larger part of their space. The poles need to be wind proof of course.
Like this you can displace them on your meadow. You need to cut a stripe into the meadow before you set up the fence. It mustn't touch anything, no grass, no weed, no bushes!
Additional you install a battery light with time switch that turns on in the trailer at 1 o'clock in the morning to avoid a laying intermission during the winter, but it switches off during the daylight allowing them to go "to bed" with the natural sunset.
There are half automatic feeders and automatic water dispensers on the market that allow you to leave them alone for a few days.
The laying nests belong to approximately table height.
If you do it differently you create unnecessary much work.
Chickens that are left in one place turn every ground sooner or later into a desert.
They can be used to eliminate every kind of weeds, or a flower and vegetable garden if you want.
