Quote Originally Posted by JHarris1385 View Post
I talked my mother into a Free Range Turkey for Thanksgiving. Looking forward to it. I have had free range chicken but not a turkey yet.
"Free Range" is a joke. According to the FDA to be labeled "Free Range" the animal must have access to outdoor feeding areas. They do not specify how much access. The specifics are not mandated.

So typically what happens is that a large industrial poultry farmer that wants to hike up his prices and justify it by putting "free range" on the label raises the birds as normal, in the same pens and conditions as non-free range birds until adolescence. Then they will open the doors to the barn for an hour or so a day to let them be "free" Woo Hoo!

Problem is, by that time the birds are so acclimated to their cramped conditions that the outdoor environment is scary as hell, so very few ever even leave their cages, let alone the barn. They sit in their cages and eat the free food that they dont have to go out and walk around for just like they have for their entire lives.

I'm not saying most free range producers do this, but I cannot see why they wouldn't and nothing is stopping them from doing so.

Just another example of getting suckered into buying bogus, meaningless products.

Relevant to this thread perhaps?