Environment
Advantages of Free-Range Farming for Eco-Friendly Consumers
Are you an eco-conscious consumer that has made environmental sustainability a core priority? There are a lot of lifestyle changes that you need to be willing to make in your life.
One change that you need to consider is your diet. The types of foods that you eat can have a huge impact on the environment. Therefore, you should seriously consider shifting towards eating free-range foods.
Free-Range Farming is Crucial for Anyone Supporting Sustainable and Ethical Eating Habits
There are a lot of dietary changes that you can make to lower your carbon footprint and help the planet. We previously pointed out that you can lower your impact on the environment by switching to a vegan diet. As we stated from the research cited in the aforementioned link, vegans were able to lower their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 22%.
However, there are other diets that can be good for the environment that don’t require you to give up meat altogether. One such diet involves switching to food produced with free-range farming. There are a lot of studies showing the environmental benefits of free-range farming. One proponent of free-range farming boldly stated that using his methods would lead to a huge carbon reduction and that:
“in less than 10 years, we would sequester all the carbon that’s been emitted since the beginning of the industrial age.”
There are many different types of chicken farming practiced all over the world, but there are actually a few that have more positive aspects than others. Certainly, one of the best solutions when you want to build a chicken house is to adopt free range farming, and in this article we are going to explain exactly why. In particular, we will talk about why giving your hens space to roam, as well as commercial chicken houses to rest and protect themselves from the heat or cold, can be beneficial for you, your animals and your business.
If the eco-friendly benefits alone aren’t enough to sell you on the benefits of eating foods produced through free-range farming, then the following other benefits should help. Keep reading to find out more about the other benefits!
Freedom Of Chickens
Like all living creatures, chickens need to be active. With free range farming you give these animals the chance to literally exercise and walk and run as much as they want. By choosing to practice a free range farm you are also taking care of the health of your animals and their quality of life.
A Complete Diet At A Lower Cost
Of course, one of the first things to take care of once you have built your own poultry house is to feed your animals properly. The advantage of free range farming is that the chickens will be free to feed themselves with what they find in the ground, as well as the food you provide, because it is in their nature. They will be free to walk and move around, and therefore able to eat grass and insects. So, the diet of the animals will be much broader, but for you the cost will still be the same.
The Problem Of Cleanliness
Hens are very noisy animals, but more importantly, they are very dirty. Choosing a hen house other than a free range one means that you will have to clean it very often, because dirt accumulates in small, enclosed spaces. Of course, you will still have to clean regularly, even if you choose to practice a free range system, but less frequently because the chickens will be able to move around. So free range is also a perfect solution from a logistical point of view.
Increased Eggs Quality
If hens have a wider diet, move regularly and have a healthy lifestyle, then as a result their eggs will also be of a higher quality. In order to understand this, one only needs to compare the yolks of two different eggs: one from a free range farm and one from another type of farm. You will immediately notice that its colour is different, as it can vary from light yellow to dark orange. Eggs that come from a free range farm are normally richer and contain a lot of vitamins and minerals inside the yolk.
Free-Range Farming is Essential for People Following an Eco-Friendly and Ethical Diet
Although vegan diets are preferable for the environment, there are other ways to follow a diet that is eco-friendly. Free-range farming has made it a lot easier to follow a green lifestyle. These farming practices also have other health and ethical benefits, so you should embrace free-range farming today!