While free-range production is a step away from cruelty and toward more humane standards, it does not mean that farmed animals do not suffer. Unfortunately, these terms may be used loosely to define factory farming housing that does not confine the animals to cages and crates. Producers must demonstrate to the USDA that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.
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What does free-range or free-roaming mean? When used under other circumstances, the term may be closely associated with the name of the organization responsible for the “certification” process, e.g., “XYZ Company’s Certified Beef.” The term “certified” implies that the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agriculture Marketing Service have officially evaluated a meat product for class, grade, or other quality characteristics (e.g., “Certified Angus Beef”). The best way to ensure humane treatment of egg-laying hens is to reduce or eliminate egg consumption. Until “cage-free” is more clearly defined and federally regulated, many consumers may be misled to believe that a cage-free purchase is a humane choice. Many cage-free farms simply replace cages with overcrowded sheds, where thousands upon thousands of birds endure enormous physical, emotional, and psychological harm. While cage-free is a step toward more humane standards, it does not mean that hens are free-range. According to the CDC, the use of antibiotics in factory farmed animals may be a contributing factor in the emergence of dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Ĭage-free hens are not confined to battery cages. Antibiotic drugs are routinely given to factory farmed animals in an attempt to stave off disease and illnesses caused mainly due to intensive breeding and rearing of animals. The term “no antibiotics added” may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the USDA demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics. The following are terms used to describe animal products raised for human consumption. Only two terms, “cage-free” and “certified organic” are verified by the USDA directly. Therefore, it is the producer who determines the meaning of the term. For instance, what do “cage-free,” “free-range,” “free roaming,” “grass fed,” “organic,” and “natural,” among other terms, mean? Some of these terms are accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through testimonials and documentation supplied only by the producers. These labels also make marketing claims that we, as consumers, need to understand. There are a number of labels used in the meat, dairy, and egg industries to identify how the animals or their products were produced. Producers who are certified under the program may use the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® logo on their packaging. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program is the only farm animal program that is dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals from birth to slaughter. Managers and caretakers are thoroughly trained, skilled, and competent in animal husbandry and welfare.Animals are sufficiently protected from the weather.Animals have access to ample fresh water and a healthy diet without added antibiotics or hormones.Cages, crates, and tie stalls are forbidden.Animals are raised with sufficient space, shelter, and gentle handling to limit stress.Animals are allowed to engage in their natural behaviors.What does it mean when an animal product is labeled Certified Humane Raised and Handled®? The Certified Humane Animal Care Standards states: This official image associated with Aries is a the ram, which is also a symbol of initiation, new beginnings, and a chain of communication that the woodpecker initiates.Unfortunately, “cage-free” is not analogous to “free range.” Aries, the zodiac sign, is also accepted as having a woodpecker as one of its symbols because this sign has association with Mars. In Rome, it was associated with the planet Mars, a symbol of energy and initiative and the “ ruling planet“. Woodpecker symbolic meanings also made their presences known in ancient mythologies. Opportunist, Progressive, Noisy, Communicative, Attentive, Wise, Creative, Balanced, Protective, Nurturing Additionally, the woodpecker totem symbolizes more general attributes, such as initiation, attention, communication, listening, signaling, and protecting the home. Carry on with the determination of this driven avian. See an option, make, a plan, and follow through with it. However, the opportunist in in the woodpecker animal spirit also focuses on the values that can be found in anything.