While many of us may think of “free-range” farms as idyllic places where pigs relax in mud baths, chickens strut about, and cows graze leisurely in lush, green pastures while their calves romp playfully, most are nothing like that. There are few government regulations or industry standards to monitor the use of the term “free range,” so inhumane conditions and mistreatment of the animals are common. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines “free-range” and “free-roaming” only for labeling purposes and has no inspection system in place to verify that those farms claiming to be “free-range” actually are.

As with factory-farmed animals, “free-range” animals can be subjected to the same physical mutilations without painkillers and are still sent to the same slaughterhouses as their factory-farmed relatives at a young age when their “productivity” wanes.

Dr. Charles Olentine, editor of industry trade journal Egg Industry, put it best: “Just because it says free-range does not mean that it is welfare-friendly.”