What do you consider "free range?"

[cindyanne1]

I was thinking about this yesterday when my husband and I were discussing how much space we're going to fence in for the coop. We have enough fencing to enclose about a half acre for them (around 30 chickens, give or take a few) but I don't really consider that to be free range since, to me, free-ranging would mean no fence at all and they could roam at will over our entire three acres and the adjoining five acre hayfield/pasture that is shared between us and my parents-in-law (they own it, but we use it, if that makes sense, lol.)

In other words, I guess I think since they'll be in their half-acre pasture, they're pastured... not free-range.

My husband insists that if I ever sell eggs, I'll be able to call them "free range" eggs since the birds will have so much space. I'm not sure if I can, though.

So... what do you consider free range?

 

[AmyRey]

From Wikipedia:

Traditional American usage equates "free-range" with "unfenced," and with the implication that there was no herdsman keeping them together or managing them in any way. Legally, a free-range jurisdiction allowed livestock (perhaps only of a few named species) to run free, and the owner was not liable for any damage they caused. In such jurisdictions, people who wished to avoid damage by livestock had to fence them out; in others, the owners had to fence them in.[5]

In recent years, with the days of free-range cattle mostly in the past, neither the presence of a "legal fence" surrounding the farm nor the pros and cons of old-time free-range ranching are the main points of interest. Instead, the term "free range" is mainly used as a marketing term rather than a husbandry term, meaning something on the order of, "low stocking density," "pasture-raised," "grass-fed," "old-fashioned," "humanely raised," etc. In poultrykeeping, "Free range" is widely confused with yarding, which means keeping poultry in fenced yards. In reality, the two methods have little in common.


Free range meat chickens seek shade on a U.S. farmThe U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that chickens raised for their meat have access to the outdoors in order to receive the free-range certification. Free-range chicken eggs, however, have no legal definition in the United States. Likewise, free-range egg producers have no common standard on what the term means. Many egg farmers sell their eggs as free range merely because their cages are two or three inches above average size, or because there is a window in the shed.[citation needed]

Personally, I consider free-ranging to mean grass, bugs and sunshine.

 

[tasymo]

Your chickens will be free to range over an entire 1/2 acre- no different than letting them free range in a fenced in back yard. I'd call that free range.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
If you have 500 chickens and a 1ft by 3ft area where they can range in the great outdoors, you can consider them free ranged. YOUR 1/2 acre is a lot more FREErangeing than most freeranged chickens will ever have a chance to see.

 

[Beekissed]

I would consider an area 1/2 acre in size for 30 chickens would be free-ranged under current marketing terms. I think a purist would consider no fencing to be the correct use of the term.

I have an acre+ of land that has a perimeter fence but only has chicken type fencing on the side facing and nearest the road. Even then, I have numerous escapees. The rest of the fencing they can walk right through and do so every day, where they free range in open pastures....that also have a perimeter fence.

So...if its just fencing that defines a free range situation, I would have to go even deeper and suggest that poultry fencing be used as a qualifier.

I consider mine free range.

 

[gocrow77]

Well, it really just depends on how you look at things. I have my property partially fenced on two sides - not much more than about 20 feet on each side. We mainly wanted to "encourage" our chickens to head toward the back of our property and NOT to the neighbors place. There is no other fencing, but they are too lazy to walk all the way around, lol. Our house blocks the front except for the little breeze way between the house and garage. It works well for us, and I certainly consider mine to be free range. we try to keep them out of the front of the house a s well because I'm growing veggies there. They have over 5 acres to roam, wander, peck, and scratch. But to be honest they don't really go far from the coop anyway. I have found that they don't completely eat down all the grass/vegetation in their area this way. A bonus is that hubby doesn't have to mow as much or as often, lol!

 

[Clay In Iowa]

I consider my chickens ranged even though I have them confined to a 3,500 square foot area. I have to keep them fenced for their own safety. And since I move the fence as soon as the are starts to show some wear ... I know it's not what some consider free range but it's the best I can do with out staying home with them all day.

 

[Cherrypie]

I would consider a chicken that can move around freely in an area that contains land, bugs, outside weather to be free-ranged. The size of the area to me isn't as relevant as the fact that they are not caged and can move around as they please within their fencing.

 

[2DogsFarm]

Quote:
Totally agree with this (BTW: well said, Cherrypie!)

Ideally I guess true freerange would mean never caged or kept in a coop.
But as I don't want to deal with predation my "freerange" birds will have to be satisfied with the unmanicured space in their fenced yard and be cooped at night.

 

[Beekissed]

I would have to respectfully disagree with the above posts. Sorry!

Confinement to a run, whether it has bugs, land or outside area, is not anywhere in the realm of free ranging. The birds are neither free nor ranging but confined to a general area. If the general area is small enough to become denuded of grasses/bug life I would definitely consider this a confinement poultry setup.

I think there are degrees of free ranging, like using tractors that offer fresh greens and bugs on a daily, or more frequent, basis. There is fenced but into a very large area that can support the number of chickens without denuding the ground cover or exhausting the existing bug life. Or there is just lettin' it all hang out and the birds can go anywhere they please over a large piece of property.

But, I don't think anyone could classify a stationary pen as free range if the birds don't have a variety of good grasses/bug life on a daily basis all year round. I don't think most backyard chickeners keep their chickens in cages but many keep them in pens or runs. These runs are not considered free range.