what’s the definition of free range?

[Carson213]

Does this mean your chickens can leave your property, freely, and never come back...if they choose?

 

[Waterfowllady]

For me, free ranging is letting my birds have free roam of my 1 acre pasture, the call ducks can fly out and have before, but they always come back. I'm not totally sure how people with a ton of un enclosed land do it though??

 

[Carson213]

For me, free ranging is letting my birds have free roam of my 1 acre pasture, the call ducks can fly out and have before, but they always come back. I'm not totally sure how people with a ton of un enclosed land do it though??

so...they still have a limit? i know people who “free range” and it’s their backyard...

 

[Waterfowllady]

Yes, all the birds stay in a fenced 1 acre pasture, I've seen the call ducks fly over a few times but nothing serious ever happens, they just fly back over. Its not a regular occurrence though

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I think traditionally, free range mean the birds come home to roost in their coop at night and then go where they please during the day. In my case, mine "free range" in my yard for about an hour in the late afternoons, while I watch over them!

 

[Waterfowllady]

Haha! I think free ranging can be many things, and it is not limited to people with 100+ acre properties. To me, 'free ranging' is when birds are out in a non controlled environment (as in no shavings covering anything, grass growing, bugs, plants, stuff like that) where they are just fenced in at most and have a good amount of area to roam

 

[rosemarythyme]

Legal definition isn't as exciting. From wikipedia:

In the United States, the USDA free range regulations currently apply only to poultry and indicate that the animal has been allowed access to the outside.[3] The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside.[4]

On here, most people say free range when they're not inside an enclosed run that the birds must remain inside of. So even loose in a small yard would count as "free range."

 

[Waterfowllady]

Legal definition isn't as exciting. From wikipedia:

In the United States, the USDA free range regulations currently apply only to poultry and indicate that the animal has been allowed access to the outside.[3] The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside.[4]

On here, most people say free range when they're not inside an enclosed run that the birds must remain inside of. So even loose in a small yard would count as "free range."

Unfortunately, commercial standards for free range arent very high.

 

[Carson213]

where i live, my chickens have a one acre run with 4 foot goat fencing and a coop...if they didn’t go in at night, raccoons or coyotes would eat them. we are surrounded by fields and not orchards so we can’t truly “free range” chickens. they have no trees to sleep in at night. the chickens have plenty to forage on but we supplement a lot during the winter.

 

[Waterfowllady]

where i live, my chickens have a one acre run with 4 foot goat fencing and a coop...if they didn’t go in at night, raccoons or coyotes would eat them. we are surrounded by fields and not orchards so we can’t truly “free range” chickens. they have no trees to sleep in at night. the chickens have plenty to forage on but we supplement a lot during the winter.

Sounds pretty free range to me!