Why is free-range misleading?
Don’t get caught up in the “free-range” click bait. Do your due diligence so that you can make an informed decision. Bottom line, free-range doesn’t necessarily mean what most people think of when they hear the phrase “free-range”. While the term free-range sounds wholesome, and people may envision pastures, and happy chickens, in reality, oftentimes, free-range chickens are much more industrialized.
While “free-range” implies freedom and implies space (or, explicitly states it), the USDA’s definition of what constitutes “free-range” is much different. Consumers might assume (understandably) that free-range hens live much more freely than they actually do. However, the term is often used more for marketing than for accurately representing the hens’ living conditions.
1. SPACE
The USDA’s definitions as far as space requirements for various types of chickens are below:
Term | Space Per Chicken |
Caged | 67 square inches |
Cage-Free | Less than 1 square foot |
Free-Range | 2 square feet |
Pasture-Raised | 108 square feet of outdoor space |
Sure, based on the above, the minimum requirements for “free range” are “better” than those for “caged” or “cage-free”, but nominally.
2.Minimal Outdoor Access
If the USDA’s space requirements for free-range chickens didn’t shock you, perhaps the requirements related to free-range chickens and the outdoors will. The USDA’s definition of “free-range” only requires that hens have access to the outdoors. There is no requirement, however, related to how much outdoor space must be accessible to the chickens, nor is there a requirement related to how often or how long the chickens go outside.
Yes, you read that correctly. By USDA standard, a chicken can qualify as a free-range chicken without even stepping foot outside, at all, ever, so long as they have “access” to the outdoors.
3. Poor Outdoor Conditions
Even when hens do have outdoor access, the area might not be ideal for natural behaviors. For instance, it might be muddy, barren, or covered in manure, so the hens might prefer staying inside where it’s drier and safer. Outdoor access could also be limited to a small concrete or gravel area, which doesn’t allow hens to forage or roam freely as they would in a more natural pasture environment.
BOTTOM LINE:
When you consume free-range eggs, there is no guarantee that said eggs are any healthier than cage-free, or even caged, eggs. While the application of the term free-range could be representative of the hens living conditions, it isn’t necessarily. For more transparency and confidence in the welfare of the animals, look for additional certifications like Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, or Certified Organic. These certifications – most of which can be found on Maize – are often a better way to ensure that hens are truly being raised in a more natural and ethical way, with better outdoor access, space, and care. If hens are truly being raised in a more natural and ethical way, with better outdoor access, space, and care, then there is more of a guarantee that the eggs those hens produce are healthier for you.
To be clear, if someone knows the above, and still chooses to eat eggs from free-range chickens, that is perfectly fine. That is everyone’s own decision. The primary purpose of this post is to dispel the misconceptions we often hear surrounding the meaning of “free-range”.
