What exactly is free ranging mean?

[FriedHard]

Hi all, please forgive me but I am brand new to all things chicken! Can you experts please tell me what the definition of free range chickens are?

Thanks!

 

[Imp]

from Washington FriedHard,

I call my hens free-range because in the morning I open the gate to the run and let them have the run of the yard. I then leave for work, they are alone till I come home from work. After work I feed them and at dusk they go back into the coop by themselves. Sometime after they go to bed I go out and lock the run and coop doors.

Imp

 

[Sock Puppet]

Its where they are able to graze out and about and not be cooped all day. They get to eat bugs, grass, weeds, what ever they happen to find.

I let mine out around 8:00 a.m. and then they usually return to their pen on their own towards bedtime.

Hope that helps.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Opening the gate and letting them loose on the neighborhood to eat their birdseed, play in their mulch, and poop on their porch. Or in the case of my guinea, jump on the railing around the pool and scream at the "birds" reflecting up from the water.






Actually I am a very responcible chicken owner. I've started letting my girls out in the later afternoon when they tend to stay closer to home because one of my neighbors complained. One of my neighbors actually buys organic corn at the healthfood store to give them as treats.

 

[consdrs]

Not being in 67 square inches with 2 other chickens... but for most its having outside freedom, not cooped up in a building with no access to outside. some ppl have acres and acres some have square feet. to me it is freedom to be a chicken. dirt, grass, bugs, sunshine, dust baths etc. mine have approximately 275 sf of secure, locked, covered run and 900 sf of insecure, uncovered movable plastic fence only while we are home run.
there are some chickens that never touch the ground outside.

BTW welcome to BYC!

Connie