These are not really back yard farms, but the few surviving family farms that have been in our area for generations. They are of a very different sort than the young rock star farmer with a degree in agriculture or resource management, or the backyard "farmer" who keeps a small flock for fun, for eggs, and a few extra to sell. The long term family farmers around here tend to be less interested in concepts like organic and animal welfare. They might keep something like 50-100 hens "free ranging" in a big barn. It's local, and it's better than battery cages, but the hens are kept at rather high density, so they are debeaked to prevent cannibalism. It's sort of like the set up of Pete and Gerry's Organic eggs, which you can buy in the supermarket (at least here in New England). Those hens range in a big barn and are also debeaked.