Are your chickens and eggs really free-range? What you need to know

The phrase “free-range” has come to represent ethical, humane and environmentally friendly farming practices. Modern conscious consumers respond overwhelmingly positively to the promise of free-range meat and eggs from chickens, but what does “free-range” actually mean for farmers, breeders and consumers?

In South Africa, the word “free-range” lacks a legally defined definition, which allows for interpretation and even exploitation. When we read “free-range” on a box of eggs we imagine plump, happy chickens wandering freely across sprawling meadows, munching all sorts of organic foods – worms, plants, seeds… but the truth is that “free-range” in South Africa is a description with a variety of potential living realities.

True free-range chicken farming means that the animals must be allowed to roam outdoors in a natural setting with lots of room, sunlight, and fresh air and access to plenty of clean water and a naturally varied diet. They shouldn’t be kept for long periods of time in small cages, coops or sheds. But when their outside area can be just one square metre for 10 to 15 chickens and there is only one laying nest for every eight hens, our picture of free-range egg production begins to change.

The conditions for authentic free-range chickens

To qualify as certified free-range, certain requirements need to be met:

• Outdoor access – Enough space must be provided for hens to roam, graze, and exhibit their normal behaviours outdoors.
• Natural foraging – In their outside habitat, chickens must be able to forage for food, including grasses, worms, and insects.
• Protection from predators – To keep jackals, hawks, and snakes away from hens, the right protective measures must be put in place.
• Sufficient shelter – Chickens must have open and free access to shelter to shield them from bad weather.
• Freedom from fear – providing conditions and care which avoid unnecessary suffering.

In South Africa it is realistic to consider the label “free-range” to indicate a living environment for chickens which prolongs life and is not abusive, but it is often only an indicator that the bare minimum of animal welfare needs have been met. Aside from the 10 to 15 chickens per square metre of outside space, farms in hot climates by law must only give free-range chickens access to four square metres of shade per one thousand chickens. Not to mention that of course “free-range” does not mean that any animal has a varied or healthy diet.

Don’t get us wrong, buying free-range is certainly better than blindly supporting battery egg production; a profoundly cruel and brutal life for chickens, but we believe it’s important to demystify the actual meaning of the word since it is so misleading. Male chicks on free-range farms are almost always destroyed, often shredded while they are conscious. At night, up to 20 000 chickens will be piled into a single shed, increasing the risk of parasites and disease, unhealthy manure build-up and a stressful environment near impossible to rest in. The truth is that more often than not, free-range chickens do not live a happy life, and as consumers we need to be aware that this term is very often abused and our South African law does not need it to be an accurate label. 

The advantages of ethical chicken breeding and egg production

These days, thankfully, there are countless ethical farmers with transparent websites, marketing and labelling, who prioritise the welfare of their chickens above all else. They ensure happy, healthy lives for their chickens and are rewarded for this in many ways.

Firstly, ethically kept free-range chickens are much less likely to contract illnesses or experience stress-related problems. As a result, the birds produce more eggs and can often grow to a larger size. Since free-range hens have access to a wider variety of foods, their meat and eggs usually has a much higher nutritional content and taste. Healthier chickens produce healthier meat and eggs and provide healthier food for the consumer.

As more people look for ethical free-range products, there is a greater need for poultry that has been reared humanely. Ethical farming methods improve the industry’s standing and foster consumer trust. This can bolster sales at a time when consumers are far more conscious of what they buy and consume.

Things to look for in free-range meat and eggs

When buying meat or eggs from a better source, keep an eye out for these signs:

• Pasture raised – This means the chickens have 24/7 access to the outdoors.
• Labels and certifications – Look for labels or certifications attesting to the fact that the chickens were raised outdoors. These should be from verifiable and approved certification agencies.
• Information from the source – Many free-range farms will include information about themselves on their packaging and websites because they take great pride in their work. This allows consumers to find out how and where the hens were raised.
• Cost – The cost of free-range eggs and meat is typically higher than that of conventionally farmed goods. Extremely low pricing should be avoided as they could be a sign of unethical behaviour and battery farming.

Well reared, well fed and well kept hens’ eggs are often available from local suppliers and come in unmarked boxes with a variety of prices –  we recommend supporting these, provided you’ve done your ‘background checks’ and ensured that you can agree with their methods.

Here are some recommendations for commercially available (shop bought) eggs produced under humane and healthy conditions at the time of publishing and available in Cape Town:

1. Eddie’s eggs – 1500 square metres for 300 hens! Now THAT’S free-range.
2. Farmer Angus – Truly regenerative farmers and 85 percent employee-owned laying hens.
3. Usana – Well raised and well fed, sustainable farming methods.
4. Happy egg co. – Welfare minded and actively engaged in raising the standard for free-range.

CAEP encourages ethical animal care

The goal of the Captive Animal Enrichment Project (CAEP) is to enhance the lives of animals kept in captivity, and although our charity work is focused purely on providing enrichment for animals living in welfare environments, we look to take on profitable work with for-profit organisations such as ethical farmers. We are proponents of moral agricultural methods and back programs that advance animal welfare.

We inform people about the value of moral animal husbandry and the advantages of selecting goods that come from a genuinely humane and ethical free-range source. In South Africa, we support stricter laws and guidelines pertaining to animal care and rearing. 

In order to improve the quality of life and promote natural behaviours in local chickens, we can help farmers design and conduct enrichment programs. This revolves around the practice of zoopharmacognosy, or self-selection, where the chickens are able to choose which plant compounds they consume, and so improve their health and wellbeing in a free-range setting.

By supporting the CAEP, you help create a more sustainable and humane food system. We can ensure that animals reared for food have happy, healthy lives and advance ethical chicken farming. Please contact us today if you’d like to donate or get involved.

**CAEP does not support or condone the consumption of animals or animal products, we simply share well sourced information to raise awareness around animal welfare**

https://southafrica.co.za/freerange-and-organic-poultry-production.html

https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/20460/1/sb_poultry.pdf

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2014-06-30-free-range-food-a-can-of-worms/