▁the ▁animal ▁has ▁been ▁allowed ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁outside . ▁The ▁US DA ▁reg ulations ▁do ▁not ▁specify ▁the ▁quality ▁or ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁outside ▁range ▁nor ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁time ▁an ▁animal ▁must ▁have ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁outside . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" free ▁range " ▁is ▁mainly ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁market ing ▁term ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁husband ry ▁term , ▁meaning ▁something ▁on ▁the ▁order ▁of , ▁" low ▁stock ing ▁density ," ▁" p ast ure - ra ised ," ▁" gr ass - f ed ," ▁" old - f ashion ed ," ▁" human ely ▁raised ," ▁etc . ▁ ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁propos als ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁US DA ▁label ing ▁of ▁products ▁as ▁free ▁range ▁within ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁what ▁constit utes ▁raising ▁an ▁animal ▁" free ▁range " ▁is ▁almost ▁entirely ▁decided ▁by ▁the ▁producer ▁of ▁that ▁product , ▁and ▁is ▁frequently ▁incons istent ▁with ▁consumer ▁ideas ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁term ▁means . ▁ ▁Free - range ▁p oul try ▁ ▁In ▁p oul try - keep ing , ▁" free ▁range " ▁is ▁widely ▁confused ▁with ▁y arding , ▁which ▁means ▁keeping ▁p oul try ▁in ▁f enced ▁yards . ▁Y arding , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁floor less ▁port able ▁ch icken ▁pens ▁(" ch icken ▁tra ctors ") ▁may ▁have ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁benefits ▁of ▁free - range ▁liv est ock ▁but , ▁in ▁reality , ▁the ▁methods ▁have ▁little ▁in ▁common ▁with ▁the ▁free - range ▁method . ▁ ▁A