Free-range chickens?

[Raelyn]

Our hens free range during the day on our 10 acres, but because of the horses the 10 acres are completely perimeter fenced with 2"x4" woven wire horse mesh (to keep loose dogs away from the horses).

I consider our hens "free range".

 

[BrewedInNh]

There hasn't been much worthwhile free ranging in the northern tier since December when the snow covered everything. It'll be a while longer before the snow melts for some of us too.

We still let them out to wander, but they keep to the shovelled paths and spend time hanging out on the back deck if the sun is out. Otherwise they return to their run & coop.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I think you have several different issues involved in this.

Legally, to use the term "free range" for your chickens, they just need to have access to the outdoors. They don't even need to go out, they just need to have access.

Your customer's expectations and attitudes are a different matter. I think most people think free range means they're foraging in a field somewhere, loose. Back in the 1800s cattle that were free ranged weren't contained by fences, but I don't think anyone is too disturbed these days by big grassy pastures with a perimeter fence. I think most people expect livestock to be fenced in. I don't think they expect a free ranged chicken to be living the life of feed lot cattle, penned up on dirt. Most people are really shocked and upset, when they find out how commercial birds are raised, that have labels like cage free or free range on them.

I don't know that there is a legal definition for pastured, yet. Certainly the expectation would be that the chickens are living and foraging on green pasture. There is a big difference in pastured and non-pastured chickens and their eggs. I'm not just talking about taste or the way they look, I'm talking about nutrition, too. The types and/or amounts of fat, cholesterol and vitamins are different. You won't find as much validated information on the web about chickens or eggs as you will if you do a search about the difference pasturing makes in livestock meat. You should really check it out. It makes a difference in the amounts and types of fats in the meat. It makes the meat nutritionally superior to feed lot meat. Pastured meat is a big deal. There are small producers specializing in it. Definitely read some of the information that IS out there on the difference in pastured eggs and the tests that have been done. This is something to think about, when you are thinking about how you want to market your eggs.

Some commercial producers have changed what they feed and now label their eggs as omega 3 eggs. It's easy to do, by feeding flax. Eggs from chickens on pasture just naturally have more omega 3 in the eggs. If people are willing to pay for it, I'm sure they'd eventually be willing to feed greens to chickens, to try to further simulate pastured eggs. It's funny how diet makes no difference in the eggs, until it's an advantage for major egg producers.

You might want to think about using a phrase something like, "Access to pasture daily" or "Free range with access to pasture daily" and "Farm fresh" is always good. If it turns out you can't do that, but you want to give them green feed to make the hens and eggs healthier, I'd let the customers know that you provide it.

You might have to just see what your customer base is like. People may want healthier eggs, eggs that are produced less cruelly or you might have some that just want cheap eggs. You'll do better with the first two, as a business.

 

[centrarchid]

With many situations, fencing in respect to chickens not all that important in definition of free ranged (pastured chickens). My birds go over or thru it with little effort. Even if fencing chicken proof, the birds may not challenge it if pasture large enough. My flocks get their pasture needs meet on a little over four acres worth of free range even though a much larger area is available.

Working definition I use use for free ranging or pastured chickens is best described as unconfined.

 

[divante]

I would think the space that you have would be great for the chickens. Anything that is not a small single chicken gage is good. since there are no requirements for free range I would say you are doing a good job with that also. Some farmers say free range and people assume that they are free range all day. Not true, it could be from 15 min to whenever they want. It's very deceiving
I think your approach is def a good one and good luck to you.
Divante

 

[stitches]

I have 30 Hens and 1 Boxer and I let them run together in my back 1 1/2 acres(Fenced in) and he has never hurt one of the Hens or the 2 Rooster.
My most fear is the people next door as I have lost 4 birds because they shot the birds and they let their
Pitt bull dogs off their chains.



Ruth
Naples, Tx.

 

[CAjerseychick]

I have 30 Hens and 1 Boxer and I let them run together in my back 1 1/2 acres(Fenced in) and he has never hurt one of the Hens or the 2 Rooster.
My most fear is the people next door as I have lost 4 birds because they shot the birds and they let their
Pitt bull dogs off their chains.



Ruth
Naples, Tx.

Did they shoot your chickens in your yard? I would report them that is dangerous and WRONG (and a public safety issue-- you cannot just go shooting into other people's yards!)!!! That is terrible!

 

[Aussie-Chook]

When I get up in the morning I let my chickens out. They are free to range anywhere they choose on 80 acres. They come back to their coops to roost at night, to be locked up safe from nighttime predators.

To me, that's free range.

We are about to move onto 4.5 acres and look forward to growing and free ranging our flock. When you free range, do you still have to supplement their feed? (layer feed, or any 'bought' feed?)
Thank you

 

[Mrs. K]

When you free range in the height of summer, if you have strong foraging chickens (different breeds differ on this ability) I notice a decided drop in layer feed consumption, with July being the best month. All through June they are eating less commercial feed, but still are needing it. By mid August, they are again needing a bit more commercial feed, and once it freezes, the bug protein drops off, and they are pretty much on commercial feed. The will still forage, and eat quite a big of vegetation, but they are cleaning up the commercial feed.

I live in SD, and it is generally dry here, and our freeze dates are May 15 - Sept 15. Hope this helps.

Mrs K

 

[Beekissed]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to BYC, and plan on getting some chickens this week, and hopefully will get enough in the coming months to sells eggs. But I have a question about what free-range means. I'm an agriculture student so I've learn some on industry standard in poultry. I know there isn't a specific thing on what free-range is suppose to indicate but I do know what free-range isn't. Free-range is not a chicken that is kept in a small wire cage its entire egg laying life or a chicken that never get to go outside. And so here is my question, when/if I do get 15-25 chickens I planned on building a coop that is 12X18 (with a little storage area) and a 16X16 outside run that they will have access to every single day. Now from my calculations on what others have said on space requirements I have twice as much room as I actually need (which is what I want). Will I be able to consider these chicken free-range, when I sell my eggs?

-I won't be able to decide if I can actually allow them to free-range, since I have 5 German Shepherds that have a very high prey drive. When the time comes, I may be able to let them out a couple of hours in the evening a couple of times a weeks. (We'll see when the time comes).

As a customer I would consider that false advertisement. Confinement away from natural diet found on range/pasture is the setup you describe as the area you will use will soon be denuded of grass and available insect/worm life. I don't know about other folks but I don't buy free range eggs because the birds have a lot of space to live in, but rather the more natural diet they consume.

If I bought "free range" eggs from you, then came and saw your set-up, I'd feel cheated and you'd lose a customer.

If you're selling eggs, emphasize what you have--happy hens with a large enclosure, good food, etc.

I agree.

Free-run chickens?

Of course, then you have chickens with movable pens who may not have 80 acres, but who do have fresh pasture every day. And what about people who have a lot less than 80 acres, but whose chooks are free to range within a smaller area? My backyard is a full half-acre, for example. Would you consider that free range? Where do you draw the line? Is it only free range if there are no chicken-proof fences?

The definition of range, in this regard is this: An extensive area of open land on which livestock wander and graze.

Then one would have to determine what is "extensive" relative to the size of the animal and the stocking rate being used. If I had 100 chickens on half an acre, I would consider that confined living as soon all the natural graze and forage would be gone and they would just be birds eating from a feeder on a prescribed area of bare soil.

If I had, say, 15 birds on a half acre of really good pasture and forage, I'd say I might still be able to call that free range as long as they were still deriving most of their diet from the pasture.

I would consider a perimeter fence a safety precaution for a range/pasture/grazing area and it all depends on how many animals are inside that fence and how much of a natural diet they could glean there before it could truly be called "range".

I don't consider chickens let out of a run to forage for a few hours free ranged nor do I think a large area that is overstocked is free range either~that's just a super big run/pen. I also don't consider birds in a tractor as having "fresh" pasture or any freedom of movement. The area beneath their feet is depleted of bug life in mere minutes and the grass may or may not be the type they would/could eat and it quickly becomes spoiled from feces and trampling...I don't call that "fresh" beyond a few minutes time.

I guess it's all relative to what a person feels is "free" and "range"....to me, free is coming and going at will and the ability to spread out from the living area into areas that have adequate forage. Range, to me, is a large enough area that can provide the majority of their dietary needs in warmer months and can supplement it even in colder months.