Free range: what's your definition?

[Jeevesrules]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_range

Check this out

 

[boskelli1571]

Jeeves - what an interesting article!!
As far as 'free range' goes, I suppose that it really revolves around your personal philosophy & safety of your flock. I'm new to the chicken world, but although I would want my gals to have as much contentment/freedom in their lives as possible, I also want to keep them safe. I think 'pastured' is going to be my best direction - access to outside but relatively safe.

 

[wsmith]

So by the EU definition, my chickens would qualify as free range, even though they are protected by fencing, in a >3000sq ft fenced run. That would allow me 70 chickens @ 4 square meters each, or 43 square feet each.

 

[VelvettFog]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

I don't know? My chickens get let out in the morning and roam around our ranch all day then go back to the coop around 7:00 or 8:00.

This​

 

[Mac in Wisco]

 

[wsmith]

 

[Amyh]

I let mine out in the backyard, which is about 1/2 an acre to 10 chickens. I consider this free range even though there is a fence keeping them on my property. I think "free range" is that they have a wide area to peck around in looking for bugs and grass and dust bathing. If they are destructive to the land (the grass dies for example) I don't consider that free range because they have depleted their food source.

So IMO it depends on the amount of land and the number of chickens, not the fencing.

 

[AlienChick]

I think my set up is similar to yours.

Mine "free range" all day long and put themselves to bed inside the coop at night.

I close the coop door every night and open it in the morning.

I have cheap netting around the perimeter to keep them from going into the parking lot next door,
but they've got about a half acre to roam and they still stay pretty close to the coop area.

 

[Msbear]

very nice, Alienchick

I think that free ranging involves grass/weeds/sand (think desert free ranging) and bugs. If they cannot get to either of those things, then it can't be free range. Just because you keep them in a 10x10 pen and a grasshopper is "free" to "range" into your pen... that does not necessarily make them "free range"

 

[greenbird]

I had a coop once, with a run, but then it was destroyed in a storm. They chose to sleep in the barn, so now they get up whenever they want and go to sleep whenever they want. They have no sort of fence and just go all over the place. Honestly I like having them free range better. Its so awesome to have chickens and turkeys and peacocks just walking around