We only have a very small place and only a few critters, don't have range, and really don't like running animals on range ( my personal opinion) I know animals that ended up 50 miles from the home place, and the only way they came home was the brand on the hide. They went through drift fences etc and just kept traveling.Every year a number of cattle simply do not come in, either stolen or ate by wild animals, as often their owner never sees all of them till fall. If they get sick, unless someone sees them, and calls the owner, well they either get better on their own or die.
A fellow I know quite well used to run cattle on range, and when he got a few extra acres and stopped using range, his average fall weight gain was 100 lbs heavier on his pastured cattle than the range fed animals.
Makes quite a bit of difference at the stockyards and with the paycheck..