Free-range labeling guarantees outdoor access for hens but not the quality of that access, with enormous variation in actual range use and welfare outcomes.
Range quality determines whether free-range systems deliver the welfare benefits their label implies. Hens are prey animals that will not venture far from cover — bare, open ranges with few pop-holes are used by only a small percentage of flocks. Good range design with trees, shrubs, and veranda structures dramatically increases range use and delivers real welfare benefits.