▁behavior al ▁definition ▁of ▁free ▁range ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁useful : ▁" ch ick ens ▁kept ▁with ▁a ▁f ence ▁that ▁restrict s ▁their ▁movements ▁very ▁little ." ▁This ▁has ▁practical ▁imp lications . ▁For ▁example , ▁according ▁to ▁J ull , ▁" The ▁most ▁effective ▁measure ▁of ▁prevent ing ▁can n ib al ism ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁birds ▁good ▁grass ▁range ." ▁De - be aking ▁was ▁invent ed ▁to ▁prevent ▁can n ib al ism ▁for ▁birds ▁not ▁on ▁free ▁range , ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁de - be aking ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁lit mus ▁test ▁for ▁whether ▁the ▁ch ick ens ' ▁environment ▁is ▁sufficiently ▁" free - range - like ." ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Agricult ure ▁Food ▁Saf ety ▁and ▁In spe ction ▁Service ▁( FS IS ) ▁requires ▁that ▁ch ick ens ▁raised ▁for ▁their ▁meat ▁have ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁outside ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁free - range ▁cert ification . ▁▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁requirement ▁for ▁access ▁to ▁past ure , ▁and ▁there ▁may ▁be ▁access ▁to ▁only ▁d irt ▁or ▁gra vel ▁. ▁ ▁Free - range ▁ch icken ▁eggs , ▁however , ▁have ▁no ▁legal ▁definition ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Like wise , ▁free - range ▁egg ▁produ cers ▁have ▁no ▁common ▁standard ▁on ▁what ▁the ▁term ▁means . ▁ ▁The ▁broad ness ▁of ▁" free ▁range " ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁has ▁caused ▁some ▁people ▁to ▁look ▁for