Free-range egg production requires outdoor access but outdoor area quality varies enormously. Understanding what makes good outdoor range improves welfare for free-range hens.
Free-range egg production offers potential welfare benefits through outdoor access, but realising these benefits requires thoughtful range design. Hens are prey animals with strong predator awareness and will only use open areas if they feel safe. Providing shade, shelter and vegetation throughout the range rather than just near pop-holes dramatically increases range usage and the behavioural benefits delivered. The welfare difference between a high-quality and a low-quality free-range system may be greater than the difference between good free-range and enriched colony cage.