Free range egg production
(53% of UK production)
For eggs to be termed 'free range', hens must have continuous daytime access to runs which are mainly covered with vegetation and a maximum stocking density of 2,500 birds per hectare. Hens go inside at night, where the hen house conditions must comply with the regulations for birds kept in barn systems, with a maximum stocking density of 9 hens per square metre of useable area.
Hens must be provided with next boxes. Adequate perches, providing 15 centimetres of perch per hen, must also be provided. Litter must be provided, accounting for one-third of the ground surface - this is used for scratching and dust bathing.
