"free range"--let's get rid of this nonsense term

[saysfaa]

Lol I leave my doors open a lot and they are always wandering in. They know the meaning of the word OUT! They also enjoy the dog bed on my porch.

Verbal restriction is restriction also!!

 

[Chuckie chicken]

No free range for you!

Verbal restriction is restriction also!!

 

[Carson213]

When we let our chickens free range, they remain within about a half acre although they could go about half a mile in any direction without finding other people’s dwellings. To me free range means they can range freely. But they have no desire to get lost or go too far. View attachment 2703061

that's free range

 

[Aunt Angus]

Well.... my chickens are serving a life sentence in a maximum security penitentiary and receive unsupervised yard time every day. If they demonstrate good behavior, they might even get supervised release time wherein they can travel anywhere within my designated jurisdiction. Protection from hostile entities is only guaranteed if they return to their cells at "lights out."

So as not to confuse or offend, I'll refer to them as being temporarily paroled?

 

[StarChicken]

"free range." ---Your chickens can leave where you live and never come back because you live in an area with no fences...agreed..."free range."

not "free range"---you have any defined area whether it be 1 acre or 1000 acres of space with fences to keep your chickens from "free ranging"...that's basically a chicken "run."

doesn't matter either way...the term "free range" is worthless and mostly annoying. every time i hear it i instantly know the person i am dealing with just bought their first chickens.

"free range" is for the conglomerate egg sellers as a marketing ploy. i encourage you to eliminate this terminology.

the advantage that you all have is farm fresh nutritious eggs...because what you feed them is what matters. "free range" is the least essential part and that's why they market this...because....that's what costs the least...to upsell their product.

Free Range is the best way to lose every chicken you have! Even in a non-rural setting, there are coyotes, raccoons, o'possums, dogs, and any number of other predators, and if your chickens aren't secured, they're dinner for something!

Chicken security is being inside a pen with bottom, top, sides, etc. secured.

 

[AgnesGray]

Free Range is the best way to lose every chicken you have! Even in a non-rural setting, there are coyotes, raccoons, o'possums, dogs, and any number of other predators, and if your chickens aren't secured, they're dinner for something!

Chicken security is being inside a pen with bottom, top, sides, etc. secured.

Mine range freely inside an electric fence and I haven't lost 1 to a predator yet. We also have added guardian dogs to look after them. Happy chickens and must be pretty safe to still have them all.

 

[StarChicken]

All I know... “free ranged” or not....predators can and will take them at any advantage...my friend that gave me the quail eggs just lost his flock of 20 “free ranged” chickens that would roam the 5 acres by day and return to be locked up at night....mid day a husky came through and killed all but 4 hens and a roo...then a coon got the injured roo the next day.....now he is building a “run” with a closed top and sides....I tried to tell em, but it’s his first flock so.....

Yep! My daughter gave a flock to a friend, who left them out in a pasture with a small chicken house without doors.

Needless to say, within a week she no longer owned chickens.

 

[AgnesGray]

Yep! My daughter gave a flock to a friend, who left them out in a pasture with a small chicken house without doors.

Needless to say, within a week she no longer owned chickens.

Sounds like the friend took no protective measures. Done right, "free ranging" as I happily call it can work, but it requires a secure coop to lock them in at night and protection from daytime predators like stray dogs, raccoons, or whatever is in that area.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

Free Range is the best way to lose every chicken you have!

Chicken security is being inside a pen with bottom, top, sides, etc. secured.

I would argue that "being inside a pen with bottom, top, sides, etc." is the WORST way to KEEP every chicken that you have.

I mitigate risk to balance freedom vs security. I personally lean heavily towards more freedom and willingly to accept risk to get it.

I use the same strategy for my chickens.

 

[Beer can]

"free range." ---Your chickens can leave where you live and never come back because you live in an area with no fences...agreed..."free range."

not "free range"---you have any defined area whether it be 1 acre or 1000 acres of space with fences to keep your chickens from "free ranging"...that's basically a chicken "run."

doesn't matter either way...the term "free range" is worthless and mostly annoying. every time i hear it i instantly know the person i am dealing with just bought their first chickens.

"free range" is for the conglomerate egg sellers as a marketing ploy. i encourage you to eliminate this terminology.

the advantage that you all have is farm fresh nutritious eggs...because what you feed them is what matters. "free range" is the least essential part and that's why they market this...because....that's what costs the least...to upsell their product.

Been free ranging chickens for 20yrs with no boundaries or barriers. And I'll continue to free range them