What is the difference between intensive and free range farming?

Free range farming and factory farming?

• what are yer opinions about both types of farms :P Free range farming is where animals are treated in a humae-ish way and factory farming is where animals are put together in huts

• Answer:

  Depends on the livestock in question. For some of them there is zero difference. Like "free range" chickens and turkeys. The "free range" poultry are raised in the long, overcrowed poultry barns just as they are at modern factory farms. The chickens are raised in those poultry barns until they are six weeks of age. Then magically at six weeks of age a little door opens up on the poultry house, and the chickens are now allowed to "free range" out into a fenced enclosure. Problem is the chickens habbits are compltely set by the time they are six weeks of age. The chickens will never venture outside the poultry barn. At eight weeks of age, the chickens are slaughtered. So much for "free range" chickens. The farmers have to mow the grass in the "free range areas, since the chickens never venture outside of their enclosures. When it comes to poultry, it only makes a difference if it's labled "pastured raised." Then the poultry truely IS out on pasture, in the fresh air and sunshine. For other, larger livestock, it can make all the difference in the world. Beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs, sheep, goats....they have much happier, and healthier lives when allowed to roam about and do what animals naturally do. Factory raised pigs have their tails cut off, so other pigs don't chew them off in the overcrowded, bordom inducing factory farms. A pig roaming about a pasture, shoving their snout in real dirt, and finding tastey grubs, roots, and fungus are extremely happy pigs. Animals, even domesticated animals, are happiest in living the way nature intended. I raise goats and sheep. They are free to come and go from their large pastures, back to their shelters all day long (I shut the corrals at night to keep them safe from coyotes). They go out very early in the morning, come in, drink water, lick on the salt bricks, and lay down and chew their cud. Then go back out to graze. They follow this pattern about 3-4 times a day. Did you know that happy and contented goats will make a creaky, humming noise when completely happy and at peace with their little goat world? I love to walk among my goats laying there chewing their cuds, and "humming." Every single thing I've done that follows what nature does, has impoved the health of my livestock. Year ago when I first got into the goats, I followed the instructions in all the books, and advice from those who "knew." I force weaned my baby goats from their mothers at the age stated. I had horrible problems with coccidia. I had 6 baby goats die in 7 days. It was horrible. I stopped force weaning the baby goats, and let their mothers take care of it. My coccidia problem dropped to zero. No drugs needed, no special pens that were sterilized with extra strong bleach every day. Just let their mothers and nature take care of the "problem." I'm all for farming in more natural ways. Most of the "problems" in livestock farming are entirely caused by man. If you let nature do her thing, the problems magically disapear. ~Garnet Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years