What does "free range" mean to you?

fussymare · Post by **fussymare** » 19 Oct 2007, 14:47

NB - This is not about farming on a large scale.

A friend of a friend has rescued 20ish ex battery hens. She sells the eggs and describes them as organic and free range. But the hens are in a pen - a reasonably large pen, but still in a pen. However, I have know people really let their chickens have free range of several acres.

So just wondering, what you would expect from hens described as free range? Obviously totally free range has dangers attached, which is why this lady keeps the hens in a large pen.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 19 Oct 2007, 15:16

as far as i know if they are not in a box/cage
then you can claim to be free range
some now say barn kept
i would say that free range means that they can go outside
and roam about
i may be wrong but thats my veiw

Citrine · Post by **Citrine** » 19 Oct 2007, 15:23

...think you have to be able to prove the organic bit.....

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 19 Oct 2007, 17:22

My pen is about 12ft by 20ft but if I was to keep my ladies in there only, I'd certainly not consider them free range.
Our garden is about 1/3 acre and they spend half of each day wandering at will.. I'd think that was bordering on free range but I'm not sure..

melons · Post by **melons** » 19 Oct 2007, 17:29

Here's another big one, sorry.

What does "free range" on an egg or poultrymeat product mean?

"Free range", on an egg or poultrymeat product, is a Special Marketing Term (SMT) indicating that the product has been produced in compliance with the criteria set-out in the respective marketing regulations. The criteria for both eggs and poultrymeat are shown below.
Poultrymeat production

Stocking rate in the house is as follows:

* Chickens = 13 birds but not more than 27.5 kg liveweight per mÂ²;
* Ducks, guinea fowl, turkeys = 25 kg liveweight per mÂ²;
* Geese = 15 kg liveweight per mÂ²; Age at slaughter = 112 days or later

Age at slaughter must be:

* Chickens = 56 days or later
* Turkeys = 70 days or later
* Muscovy ducks = 70 days or later for females, 84 days or later for males
* Peking ducks = 49 days or later
* Female mulard ducks = 65 days or later
* Geese = 112 days or later
* Guinea fowl = 82 days or later

In addition, the birds have had during at least half their lifetime continuous daytime access to open-air runs, comprising an area mainly covered by vegetation, of not less than:

* 1mÂ² per chicken or guinea fowl (in the case of guinea fowls, open-air runs may be replaced by a perchery having a floor space of at least that of the house and a height of at least 2m, with perches of at least 10 cm length available per bird in total (house and perchery)).
* 2mÂ² per duck
* 4mÂ² per turkey or goose

The feed formula used in the fattening stage contains at least 70% of cereals, and the poultry house must also be provided with pop holes of a combined length at least equal to 4 m per 100mÂ² floor space of the house.

DEFRA

PK · Post by PK » 19 Oct 2007, 18:08

I am pretty sure it is illegal to advertise produce as organic' unless it has the necessary soil association certification.

fussymare · Post by **fussymare** » 19 Oct 2007, 20:36

Melons - I did say that I wasn't talking about keeping poultry on a commercial scale.

I don't think she should be labelling them organic, as they are not fed organic feed. But I don't consider her birds to be free ranging - they are only able to go as far as the run permits.

Mind you, compared to their life as battery hens, I expect they think they are in heaven! :-D

PK · Post by PK » 19 Oct 2007, 22:18

To obtain organic certification is rather more complex than just the feed.

fussymare · Post by **fussymare** » 19 Oct 2007, 22:38

PK wrote:To obtain organic certification is rather more complex than just the feed.

I realise this PK - but even if she adhered to every other aspect of organic regulations, if she was feeding the chickens a non organic feed, then surely that would mean they were not organic eggs?

The only thing I can know about is what the chickens are being fed - hence my statement.

Post by Mo » 20 Oct 2007, 08:09

I agree that to sell Organic eggs the feed needs to be organic.
In fact if you buy eggs labeled organic that is all you get unless they also have a soil association label - just battery hens fed on organically grown feed.
I couldn't find the soil association standards on their website, but I've seen them before and they just give an area / bird (and how much perch and space in the house). Even a smallish run will comply if you just have a few birds - they are designed for bigger flocks. Melons said 1square metre / hen, so if you just had 2 you could keep them in the run of an arc and still call them free range.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 20 Oct 2007, 08:27

fussymare wrote:Melons - I did say that I wasn't talking about keeping poultry on a commercial scale.

I've just tried to digest Mels post, and I dont think it refers to only commercial scale poultry farming.. Interesting but surprising that each bird only needs 1 sq metre of an open air run mainly covered by vegetation etc .. I would have thought it would have been more.. Still better than an A4 cage I suppose! :mrgreen:

Tania · Post by **Tania** » 20 Oct 2007, 09:50

I like to think that my girls are free rangers. They share an 8' x 4' shed and have open access to roam our garden which is a reasonable size, has lots of variety- flower beds to scratch around in, trees and shrubs. Though my space looks smaller than Richard's.
I only have 4 hens (soon to be 6) so they've got a lot of square meterage (sp?) each.
I guess that (for me) "free range" is a perception of their lifestyle - pophole open as soon as it is light, free access within the confines of our boundary. They only get shut up in the shed for safety when there is no-one at home, which has only been once this week, for a couple of hours. And they go in to bed when they are ready.

I prefer to describe them to friends as "Happy Hens" - because I think they are and so do those who have visited. I haven't had surplus eggs yet - though did bestow the honour of half a dozen on a friend this week. They carried this label:

Post by **wendy** » 20 Oct 2007, 10:49

My girls only get organic feed and also as our veg is also, there isn't a problem there.
But they do get veggies from my friends restaurant and I am sure they aren't. So their eggs aren't totally organic. But I have never sold them so there isn't a problem there.
Wendy

Post by Mo » 20 Oct 2007, 11:32

If you are keeping hens comercially you will have a lot, so they wil be able to go a long way if they want, but still might have only 1 sq m / bird. Actually they often have a big field but stay near the shed, all crowded together.
I call mine 'garden eggs' and say they are 'some are more free range than others'

Mine have 8 sq m each, in a mobile run, not as much as they'd like but enough I think.

TassieDev · Post by **TassieDev** » 20 Oct 2007, 12:50

Love the label Tania!

I don't have a specific personal definition on what should be called 'free range' for backyard hens, but it's a good question!

Re commercial flocks in Australia there are eggs labelled 'free range' but I don't think there's a national standard or anything so not sure how sure we can be that they are 'free range' or what they even mean by 'free range'!

There's an 'RSPCA endorsed' brand of eggs here which are called 'barn laid' eggs. Apparently the standard for that is:
"Barn eggs come from hens housed in a large barn or shed, which contains perches, litter, nest boxes, feeders and drinkers. Most barns have around one-third of the floor space covered with litter which allows for scratching and dust-bathing. Flocks may be small (500 birds) or large (5000 birds). RSPCA-accredited barn-housed hens are kept at a low stocking density of 7 birds/m2, but non-accredited barns may stock as many as 12 birds/ m2."

According to the RSPCA website:
"Free-range eggs come from hens that have access to an outdoor area during the day. At night, large flocks of free-range hens are kept in sheds or barns which have similar features to those for barn-housed hens. Smaller flocks may be housed in moveable sheds to allow rotational use of the range area."

Which isnt exactly a very helpful definition when it comes to stocking density. I have never actually seen 'free rane' eggs endorsed by the RSPCA so that may be why they just have a rather vague definition on their website.