Today more people are making the choice to eat healthy. Healthy eating can encompass a number of things from eating more fresh vegetables and fruits to making a commitment to not eat animal products or anything in between. Along with healthy eating, another term has become very popular “free range.” Today you can find a number of free range products including eggs, meats and chicken. The latter of the three has become very popular lately. What exactly is free range? Are there benefits to eating free range? Where did free range start? Here you will find the answer to these questions so that you can make an informed decision on eating free range products.

The way free range is defined will depend greatly on where you live. In the United States then free range only applies to poultry. This would include free range turkey, ducks and chicken; they are animals that have access to the outside. In the US the amount of time these animals can be outside is not specified nor is the size of the outside area. Meaning that is a free range chicken wants to sit in the coup all day or in a small cage, it will. For those that live outside the United States, free range animals are animals that are allowed to roam anywhere and they are never caged. Chickens then have easy access to the green grass and sun.

Free range was typical until farmers started utilizing barbed and chicken wire. Before the twentieth century, all people knew about raising animals was to provide them with a varied diet and sunshine. Those who raised cattle found it difficult to keep them all in one place and carry large heavy bags of feed to them, so they kept them on their land. Free range chickens lived that way until about 1920. In 1920 came the discovery of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. Due to this, free range chicken farmers realized that they could market their animals at a commercial level by successfully using confinement. Once chickens were successfully confined, other livestock owners followed suit.

Today there is still a debate over whether or not eating free range products truly offers any health benefits. There are a number of very valid points that support that argument that free range is better for us. One such reason is the fact that animals that are confined tend to have a higher incidence of disease and illness. Free range animals do not have this risk because they are not kept in small confined spaces in close proximity to one another. Free range animals also have access to more sources that are nutrient dense such as grass and bugs. This makes free range animals better for us because they are packed with vitamins and minerals. Whereas confined animals do not have access to the green grass or as many bugs, they are also only given enough food to survive. Confined animals’ food is often loaded with high doses of antibiotics. The purpose of the antibiotics is to keep the animal disease free. You then eat these animals. Eating animals that are loaded with antibiotics is bad for your health.

When deciding whether or not to take a certain avenue when it involves your health it should be researched thoroughly first. Just in the way this provides information on free range chickens and other free range animals, you can find pertinent information on almost every health subject. If you are well informed about something you can put it into effect easily and it is more than likely to be successful.

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