Free-range labelling implies outdoor access, but research shows many hens rarely venture far from the hen house. Understanding range use barriers is key to improving hen welfare.
The gap between free-range marketing promises and actual hen welfare outcomes is particularly evident in range use. Free-range certification provides outdoor access as a legal requirement, but does not guarantee that hens actually benefit from it. Hens evolved as forest-edge species with an instinctive aversion to open areas where aerial predators can strike. Without adequate cover on the range, even legally compliant free-range systems may fail to deliver the welfare benefits of outdoor access. Progressive producers are addressing this by planting perennial shrubs, installing artificial shelters, creating corridors of cover, and selecting breeds with higher ranging motivation. Meaningful free-range welfare requires thinking beyond pop-hole provision to range design that genuinely enables birds to use outdoor space safely.