Free-range chickens are allowed to roam within a fenced area.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines the term "free-range chickens" as chickens that are allowed to roam free instead of being contained. USDA regulations do not specify the condition or size of the outside range nor the amount of time the chickens should have access to the outside. There are, however, general guidelines on free-range slaughtered chickens and meat that allow it to be considered as such. If they do not meet the guidelines they cannot be considered free range.
Pasture Raised
Free-range chickens are raised in pastures but are kept within a fence. Pasture-raised chickens are able to roam and exercise freely so there is no need for debeaking. Debeaking is typically used to avoid cannibalism that occurs in crowded cages and fields of chickens that are kept at high density. Pasture raising allows chickens to feed in a natural manner which allows them to avoid the stress of the debeaking process. This exercise and lack of stress result in a different meat flavor that many prefer.
Grass Fed
Free-range chickens are also grass fed meaning that they eat green plant food as well as small bugs and other small living things in the pasture. Chickens are not completely grass fed and will naturally eat a combination of grain and grass. Animals that eat grasses instead of only grain feed have very high levels of omega-3. This is because omega-3 fatty acids are in leafy greens that the animals pick up in the grass, versus the omega-6 in the grains eaten by caged chickens. Humans should have approximately equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-6. Most Americans actually have 10 or 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3 as a result of eating grain-fed meats. This excess of omega-6 can lead to degenerative diseases. Free-range chicken is an overall healthier balance of fatty acids for human consumption. Grass feeding also makes the meat tenderer and is thought to result in a better flavor.
Humanely Raised
Free-range chickens are raised humanely, causing less stress on the bird and an overall healthier meat. In typical cage-raised chicken farms, chickens are kept at very high density often in hot and unsuitable conditions, eating feed that is given to them to fatten the breasts. These chickens are then loaded onto trucks where as many as 75 percent will die from extreme weather or from being smothered by other chickens loaded tightly on the truck before arriving at the facility to be slaughtered. The high density of caged chickens causes blood spots and bruises to the meat which are rarely found on free-range chicken meat. Free-range chickens are kept at low density in comfortable pastures where they are allowed room to exercise and eat the foods they like. They are also typically slaughtered on site before transport and do not experience the stress that caged chickens do. Gas chambers are also often used on free-range chickens to allow the chickens to die before beheading. This lack of stress on the bird shows up in the texture, flavor and overall quality of the meat.
Tags: caged chickens, Free-range chickens, high density, allowed roam, chickens kept, chickens raised, chickens that