Did you know that it's totally legal for chickens to be labeled as pasture raised, even if they've never been outside in their lives?

This is currently being accomplished through a loophole called "Access".  Modern industrial poultry farming uses large, stationary facilities to house and feed their chickens.  The birds live inside of the house, where they also eat, drink, sleep, and “use the restroom”.

In response, a group of farmers started doing things differently.  Instead of stationary facilities, they used smaller, mobile, floorless chicken coops to raise their birds.  Instead of living on their own poop, they were raised on pasture, and moved to fresh ground every single day.  This had the added benefit of also fertilizing and regenerating the soil.

Some poultry corporations found out about this "Pasture Raised" term and decided it was a fast growing market.  However, instead of raising the birds on pasture in mobile coops - they just cut some holes in their existing stationary facilities.

They called it "pasture raised" and "outdoor access" - and it sounds really good to someone who doesn't know chickens.  The only problem is - just because they technically had "access" - doesn't mean it was ever used.  Chickens are prey animals, and like to stay close to their shade, water, and protection. 

Thus, you end up with the picture above - “Pasture Raised” Chickens that may have never been on pasture - or only spent a very small percentage of their total lives on pasture.

And now you have an industry sitting at a crossroads, and consumers paying a boat load extra for "Pasture Raised" chicken that may have never stepped foot on pasture, and maybe not even outside.

On March 16, 2023, there was an official petition submitted to USDA's FSIS submitting "Pasture Raised" should have a separate definition from "Free Range" - specifically that animals labeled as Pasture Raised should live the majority of their lives on Pasture.

This change.org is in alignment with that petition.