Free Range VS Pasture Raised

We've all seen this at the grocery store.  "Free Range Eggs" prominently displayed on the egg cartons.  You reach for those since "Free Range" must mean happier and healthier chickens and eggs.  You gladly pay extra for happy and healthy chickens.  Did you ever stop and wonder what does "Free Range" mean?

According to the US Department of Agriculture Free Range or Free roaming means:

     Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside. 

Chickens are ALLOWED access to the outside. That is certainly better than battery cages.  I won't go into battery raised chicken, quite frankly it disturbs me and I don't want to delve into that.  However the USDA's own definition is very vague.  It says nothing about green grass, grains, pastures or any of the idilic images you associate with "Free Range". Some producers use "Free Range" to mean one door at the end of a long chicken shed that leads to an empty dirt patch. The food and water are at the far other end.  After all the chickens can choose to go outside if they want to. Some producers do stick to the spirit of the definition and let those chickens out onto fields to roam and graze to their hearts content.

Pasture raised or pastured chicken is more specific.  While there is no legal definition of pasture raised, most smaller operations stick very closely to the image invoked by the term pasture raised.  Hens are able to roam and forage eating a various diet of plants and insects. Depending on the farm location the chickens may still be contained into a chicken tractor, which is a moveable pen that protects chickens from predators.  The chickens get moved on a near daily basis and have access to all the goodies the land can provide.

If you want to know where your eggs and chickens come from and how they are raised look for a local producer.  Many allow and encourage you to stop by and check out their facilities.  Go and find those happy chickens that lay fantastic eggs.  

At Independence Urban Farm, our chickens are pasture raised.  They have the whole place to roam and forage. I like to see my happy chickens, I think it makes their eggs taste better.