Many groups and organizations have been working hard to be more humane toward chickens by getting them out of cramped, stacked cages and out into the open. Now we find that free-range chickens tend not to use their freedom to roam. Instead, they spend their time inside or hovering outside near the door, and when they’re outside they peck at each other.
The reason could be as simple as answering the question, “Where are the trees?” Apparently our modern chicken is the ancestor of fowl that lived in SE Asia’s jungles, among trees that gave them shade, protection from predators, and places to perch. That environment also gave them ground they could peck at to find food, plus dust that they used to clean themselves.
Oddly enough, it was McDonalds in the UK who figured this out years ago, after announcing that they’d use only free-range eggs. When they planted trees outside hen houses they found an increase in egg production and happier, healthier chickens. And they “range” (roam) more. Now the UK calls eggs produced in this way “Freedom Food.”
So, why didn’t someone consult the chickens in the first place?
