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

[theoldchick]

What term do you prefer?

 

[Chuckie chicken]

My chickens are free range.

 

[aart]

Marketing terms used by the food industry are misleading at best.

"Free range" means they have access to the outside, but the outdoor space provided doesn't need to be very large and most cases they don't ever leave the building.

"Cage free" means they are not kept in cages but still have the same amount of space as if they were.

There are other terms that sound great but if you look up the regs, are BS.

 

[Silexian]

No matter how you want to label it. “Free Range, Foraging or whatever” This is a site of backyard, hobby flock poultry enthusiasts. Which choose to raise there own poultry. Giving them the best care and respect that they know how. Whether it is for eggs, meat or just the joy of watching them run around doing what poultry does. I don’t get the tirade about commercial farms and their marketing ploys. To a group of people that have clearly made choices to avoid dealing with commercial operations already.

 

[Banana01]

Don't understand what is wrong with the term used by individual chicken keepers. It implies a method of keeping chickens where they can suddenly dissappear, get killed by predators, have access to worms and diseases, etc. It is more dangerous and more worry for me. I would rather have a nice coop and run where they could be kept safe.

 

[mschickiemama]

I don't like the term in the food industry but small scale farmers might be using it correctly. Can't know for sure though till you actually see the farm.. If anyone here buys supermarket eggs still at least use ASPCA shop with your heart shopping guide or something

 

[theoldchick]

So is there a better term than free range? Free access? Limited access? No access?

 

[MommaHen1996]

I encourage you to watch super size me 2, its free on Youtube, talks about the factory farming of chickens. Free range doesn't mean what you think it means to the big chicken industry. If you want chickens that actually can get outside and not be stuck in small cages and wander around big fields all day long I suggest you buy eggs from other backyard chicken owners that you know and trust. for a product to be labeled as free range all the people have to do is allow the chicken to step foot outside the building, meaning you can fence off a section that is literally is one foot away from the opening to the building and its considered free range. There is no size requirements for a space to consider the chicken free range.

Oh no they made me watch the original one in school.....still don’t eat McDonald’s

 

[MommaHen1996]

So is there a better term than free range? Free access? Limited access? No access?

Just call it a run i guess lol....

 

[MommaHen1996]

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.....