You might think “free-range” meat comes from happy animals, but in reality, the label doesn't guarantee that the farm meets animal welfare standards.
When the average person thinks of “free-roaming” beef, they tend to imagine farms with pastures dotted with beautiful black and white spotted cows, roaming and grazing to their heart's content. But even though you might assume that the animals are treated well, a "free range" label on meat or eggs does not guarantee that the animals were raised humanely.
So What Does “Free-Range” Mean?
In everyday usage, “free-range” refers to animals that roam freely in the open, especially in fields and pastures that suit their biological needs. Unfortunately, on many “free-range” farms, this definition rarely matches reality.
How Does the USDA Define Free-Range?
According to the USDA, meat qualifies as “free range meat” if the producer proves that the animals had free and continuous access to the outdoors for more than 50 percent of their lives.
However, the Food Safety and Inspection Service does not provide a clear definition of the term “free-roaming” or related terms such as cage-free, pasture-raised, free-roaming, or cage-free. This gives producers wide latitude in how they raise animals. The animals can spend almost all of their time outdoors or can be raised primarily in cramped conditions with some limited access points to small outdoor areas that may be difficult to access.
What are the types of free-range chickens?
Farms tend to have a variety of free-range types. Some are completely outdoors, while others are a mix of indoor and outdoor enclosures, and still others have small fenced areas for the animals to peek through at some point during the day. "Free range" farms can be any size.
Often, the phrase “free roaming” is used as a marketing term, not as a guarantee of a particular type of construction.
Free Poultry
What Are Free-range Chickens?
Chickens that have access to the outdoors may be labeled as “free-roaming chickens,” although the length of time outdoors and the type of outdoor space (from gravel to grass) can vary greatly.
By nature, chickens like the outdoors, although usually with structural protection from predators, and don't like to be crowded with other animals. Chickens have even been known to play with other birds, running, jumping, wrestling and playing with each other in outdoor areas.
What are free range chicken eggs?
Free-range chicken eggs are eggs produced by hens that are bred in the wild.
What Are Free-Raised Turkeys?
Some turkey farms raise their animals in free-range environments, although this is not common. Turkeys are usually kept in large barns, crowded beak to beak and tail to tail.
Free Livestock
Free Grazing Cattle
All beef cattle are raised with access to the outdoors and varying amounts of roaming time. Cows love to graze on fresh grass and play with their friends and family.
Other Free Animals
Sheep, goats and other large mammals can be kept in the wild. Sheep are actually the species most likely to be kept in the wild, although they still face other ethical issues, such as branding, tail clipping, unpleasant shearing, inhumane slaughter, and poor transportation.
What are the Benefits of Wild Food?
Free-range animal husbandry may offer a number of welfare advantages over confined feeding operations or factory farms, but because federal oversight of these claims is minimal or non-existent, it is impossible to know for sure based on the label alone.
Is Wild Food Better for Animals?
From an animal welfare perspective, research shows that animals prefer time outdoors, more space to roam, and better food and water. However, the term “free-roaming” does not guarantee that the farm is following good animal welfare practices.
For starters, while the USDA does require written documentation from farms, as Jessica Scott-Reid wrote for Vox, "those claims are not closely scrutinized." The USDA has been inundated with animal welfare complaints for products labeled “humane,” but has done little to address the problem — mainly adjusting the type of documentation required rather than conducting on-site verification. The Animal Welfare Institute reviewed many of the claims submitted to the USDA for products claiming to come from “humanely raised” animals and found that about half of them lacked sufficient justification for their claims.
Farm animals raised in the wild may also still experience gaps in their welfare. Animals experience pain during many procedures permitted on wild farms, including branding, dehorning, and tail clipping. Animals may still be fed food intended to fatten them at an unnatural rate, which can harm their bodies and cause injury. And finally, slaughter methods can still be highly inhumane, with many animals conscious before death.
Why is Free Range so popular?
People are becoming more aware of the horrors of factory farming and are starting to buy Free Range food because they care about animal welfare.
Free Range farms are often small, family-owned local farms, where farmers have maintained traditional ways of farming for generations. So, pigs, for example, can roam outside looking for food, cows and sheep are in the pasture and eat grass, chickens can forage and graze outside looking for worms and insects as nature intended. Animals eat less or no grain and corn at all. That is why the meat is lower in fat.
It is proven that compared to grain-fed meat, grass-fed meat has more Vitamin E, CLA, Omega 3, Beta-carotene, less cholesterol and calories. All of the above are known to improve your health and help prevent diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer.
Free-range breeders tend not to use drugs or antibiotics, growth hormones, and growth-promoting feed additives that make animals grow faster. Animals on free-range farms usually grow naturally. Their diet consists of freshly grazed pasture during the growing season and hay during the winter months. The meat is natural, lean, tender and healthy. Remember what goes into an animal's body when it is raised, goes into your body when you eat it.
Free range farming is also better for the land, ecosystem, and planet.
Why do people choose Free Range products? These products generally more healthy, complete, and taste better. Free Range systems, if they are properly organised and regulated, are better for the welfare of animals on farms, human health, and the planet.
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