Free range hen welfare is more complex than the label suggests, with outdoor range utilisation varying enormously between farms.
Free range welfare is more nuanced than consumer perception. The label guarantees outdoor access but not that hens actually use it. Large flocks in barren outdoor ranges with insufficient cover show very low range utilisation, meaning most hens experience essentially indoor conditions despite the free range label. Well-designed free range systems with vegetation cover, shade, pop holes distributed around the shed and protection from predators achieve much higher range utilisation and correspondingly better welfare. Consumer education about what differentiates high and low range utilisation would help reward genuinely good free range welfare.