Free range: what's your definition?

[Bear Foot Farm]

Mine have free access to as much as they want , and get locked in the coop/run at night.
They seldom go more than 100 yds from the coop

 

[jennh]

Quote:
Then yes, I would consider them free range.

JMHO,
Jen

 

[mike67909]

I let them out of the run in the morning and close them up at night. I consider mine free ranged.

 

[ABHanna4d]

My chickens have a coop for protection at night as well as protection for their food and water (away from the goats and dog) but they go in their coop when it gets dark and I latch the door and then open it at dawn for them to have full access to the rest of the yard (a little less than a 1/4 acre). Would that be called "cage free" then?

 

[hueghy]

Quote:
Ya, same here. My chickens have a small covered run that is almost always open for them to roam my 1/2 acre but they stay fairly close to their coop and run. I would consider my chickens free range because they have the option to go where ever they want. I only have 1/2 acre but my yard is only fenced on 3 sides so they really have a few acres till they run into the next fence but seldom use all that space. I'm only allowed 3 chickens where I live though so maybe if I had a larger flock they would roam a little more.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Around here, free range= dead chickens and a predator population explosion. Not something I want, my birds cost me too much to lose them like that. My farm is not KFC for foxes.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't even have a run anymore. When I need to contain my chickens for some reason, I just close the pop door on the coop/house. I really never close my pop door unless for this reason and the birds come and go as they please. I don't need to shut them up for the night, as the only predator that would brave this property are the hawks...and that only happens since my older dog has become too sedentary to care about them anymore.

I don't live near a woodline and the dogs sleep right beside the coop, so I've never had four-footed predation.

Though I have perimeter cattle fencing, the birds flow through it as they wish, so I consider my birds are free ranged at all times.

 

[jennh]

Quote:
I would call yours free range. I consider cage free when they aren't in a cage, but they don't have access to come and go as they wish, to dig for bugs, eat grass, etc.

JMHO,
Jen

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
I like your take on this. I have 30+ birds in a 12x14 coop and 12x30 run. They are definitely "cage-free" to me, as they have murdered every plant within reach. If an owner had 6 or so birds in my set-up, it would look (and smell) different!

 

[Wolfwoman]

What about birds that are in a portable run that gets moved each day? Out of the coop, into the run in a new place. That never gives them the chance to completely devastate one area. They're still getting all the good stuff as free range, but they are safe.