What is open/free-range meat?

Question

I asked before using the wrong term.

Are the animals only used for meat once they die, and not given any chemicals to make them "taste better", or hormones to make chickens bigger, etc.?

I don't want to be a vegetarian, but I can't stand the thought of eating an animal that is abused so harshly, starved, etc.

Answer 1

Twiggy, Free Range "in theory" simply means the animal is "free" to roam on the dirt, breathe fresh air and feel the sun upon his skin. As opposed to living in a tiny cage, standing in their own excrement on a floor made of concrete and never being exposed to fresh air or the sun. Free Range meats don't always mean Organic (no antibiotics, pesticides etc), but Organic meats always means free range. There are many good books out there about animal husbandry and the welfare of farm animals. For a quick and shocking view of Agribusiness (how farm animals are treated for the profit of shareholders) on the web see http://www.meat.org and http://www.meetyourmeat.com Another recommendation is a book written by John Robbins, a vegan and son, of the ice cream empire Baskin-Robbins, it is called, "Diet for a New America." There is so much more I could go into but if you really want to know about the meat industry, how animals are treated and the meat you are eating then there is so much information out there just for the taking. I used to be Vegetarian then Vegan but recently due to some health issues (nerve damage), I have started eating a tiny amount of meat; although ONLY from a small farmer that is personally known to me. I know how he treats his animals and how he slaughters his animals. Organic has become "in vogue" and an avid health nut who studies about all of this stuff, generally would not buy Organic meats from grocery stores (or even Whole Foods for that matter) because of the commercialization of the term "Organic". Organic is not as "sustainable" as it used to be. To eat animal or not is very touchy with people and I'm not here to make judgment but to help empower people so they know whats going on in our inhumane and ill society because of Agribusiness (and Pharmaceuticals, I might add).

Answer 2

It doesn't mean much. That label isn't really regulated as strongly as it could be. What it *should* mean, in my opinion, is that the animals should be raised outside in pastures. They should be allowed to breed naturally and eat naturally. Barns or other structures should be available for the animals should they need shelter from the weather, or predators, or need a place to roost.

There is no guarantee of where an animal goes after it dies/is killed.

Organic is the term used to indicate that an animal was not given hormones. Some farms include antibiotics as well (other farms will give antibiotics if an animal is sick).

Look at Thundering Hooves. They're a good farm to order from. If there's a Whole Foods in your area, they also stock meat from animals raised pretty naturally. Ditto for eggs and dairy. (The animals that produce these products sometimes live more brutal lives than the ones we eat, so if you're concerned about animal welfare, be sure you keep that in mind as well.)

Answer 3

Free range means the animal is allowed to wander freely in an large space. They are not confined to a barn, but allowed to live a normal existence. Sometimes they will still receive hormones, but usually not as much. If you want hormone and chemical free food, look for organic products.

Free range meat is still harvested, nobody would wait long enough for the animal to die on it's own. And if they did the meat likely could not be sold because the animal would be diseased.

Answer 4

Free range meat is from animals that aren't factory farmed... they'll probably have access to the out doors. You can never be certain of the conditions though and there have been cases where 'freedom' foods have been shown to be the same as factory farmed meat. The chances are slightly higher that the conditions will be better if it's labelled 'free range' though so if you buy meat, try and buy this kind. Actually checking where it comes from though would be even better... maybe research or go to a farm where your meat comes from. Also if you go to a restaurant you could ask them where their meat comes from... if enough people show they are concerned, they may consider buying more ethically reared meat... most restaurants and probably all fast food places use factory farmed meat because its the cheapest.

http://www.viva.org.uk/video/nimn.html

Answer 5

Free-range is a bunch of greenwashing. Unless you can actually visit the farm/ranch and see how the animals are treated, you have no way of knowing how well they're treated. For all you know, they just do the cute little photo ops and cram them in small sheds the rest of the time.

And it doesn't matter how well the animal is treated in his life, he's still brutally slaughtered in the same slaughterhouses as conventionally raised animals. He is still killed in the end.

If you want to avoid contributing to the abuse of animals, you have no choice but to become vegan.

Answer 6

it could mean anything. they probably just open the door to the cage for a minute and shut it before they can get out just to call them free range.

Answer 7

It means the animals didn't live in barns their whole life-- in theory they had "free range" in fields outdoors.