Free range

Free range is a system of raising livestock or poultry in which animals have access to outdoor space rather than being continuously confined indoors.

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Pasture-raised: A livestock-raising system in which animals spend substantial time grazing or foraging on pasture. It describes a more pasture-centered approach than the broad outdoor-access standard of free range.
Free-range eggs: Eggs produced by hens raised under a system that provides access to outdoor areas. Egg labeling is one of the most visible uses of the free-range claim.
Battery cage: A compact cage system historically used to house laying hens in intensive production. It represents indoor confinement sharply opposed to outdoor-access systems.
Environmental impact of animal agriculture: The effects of raising animals for food on land, water, climate, and ecosystems. Free-range systems change land use and manure distribution but do not remove agriculture's environmental impacts.
Rotational grazing: A grazing system that moves livestock among pasture sections to manage forage and land recovery. Moving animals between pastures can organize outdoor access while limiting damage to vegetation.
Free-range chicken: Chicken meat from birds raised under a system that provides outdoor access. Poultry meat uses the claim under standards that may differ from egg rules.
Cage-free eggs: Eggs from hens housed without cages, which may still be kept indoors. Cage-free does not necessarily provide the outdoor access associated with free range.
Antibiotic use in livestock: The use of antimicrobial drugs to treat, control, or prevent disease in farm animals. Housing and management conditions can influence disease risks and decisions about medication.
Stocking density: The number of animals kept per unit of land or housing space. Outdoor access can be nominal if too many animals share too little usable space.
Organic food: Food produced under standards governing methods such as permitted inputs, animal care, and certification. Organic livestock rules can include outdoor-access requirements, but organic and free-range are distinct claims.