WASHINGTON — Recently, the American Humane Society updated its free-range standards for laying hens. These updated standards will shift the focus from whether farms provide outdoor access to whether hens actually use it, AHS explained in an update.
Specifically, the updated standards include:
- Enhanced standards for cover placement and range design
- Additional monitoring, documentation and audit verification
- Enhanced vegetation requirements across the range
- Expanded evaluation of range use and bird distribution
- Additional animal-based welfare indicators (e.g., plumage condition, mortality tracking)
- Enhanced outdoor enrichment requirements
With these new standards, farmers will have to prove that their hens are using the provided outdoor space. Farms have to keep records showing hens go outside at least 275 days a year, AHS noted. Independent auditors will now check for whether birds are distributed across the range; a clear sign that the space works for them.
Not only does the outdoor space need to be provided, but it needs to be designed for how hens naturally explore. The updated standards require grass and plants to cover at least a quarter of the outdoor space, and shade and items to explore away from the barn to draw hens outside, AHS stated.
In addition to improving the hens’ outdoor area, these updated standards are ensuring that hens are happy and healthy. Farmers must now provide proof that hens are healthy and that any health or welfare issues on the farm are being addressed.
Feathers are one of the clearest signs of a hen’s health as full, healthy feathers mean the birds are comfortable, well-fed, and have adequate space, AHS noted. Auditors will look closely at the birds, specifically their feathers, when evaluating farms.
Speaking of auditors, under these updated standards, everything on the farm must be verified by an independent auditor. Accredited, third-party auditors walk the range, watch the birds, check the records and score the results against published requirements, AHS explained.
The American Humane Certified mark on the egg carton means the farm is working to meet every standard, AHS added.
In addition to updating the free-range standards, the AHS also wanted to clear up some misconceptions about eggs, such as the meaning of “free-range.”
Some people think that the “free-range” distinction means that hens live outside 24/7. However, free-range only means that hens have access to the outdoors. Hens return to the barn to roost, lay eggs and shelter from any bad weather.
Overall, what matters is whether the outdoor space is well-designed enough that hens choose to use it regularly, which is exactly what the updated American Humane Certified standards now verifies, AHS noted.
Although the updated standards are being announced now, they don’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2027. There will be a phase-in period applied to some requirements, with full implementation required by Jan. 1, 2028, AHS stated.
These updated standards mean different things to different stakeholders in the industry. For poultry producers, these clear and measurable requirements help them understand what’s expected of them and their farms, prepare for audits, and demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare, AHS noted.
For retailers and supply chain partners, the enhanced standards provide greater confidence that certified products meet consistent, science-based animal welfare requirements, helping support sourcing decisions and consumer trust, AHS added.
There has been an increase in consumer demand for verified animal welfare across all retail channels recently, so these updated standards will help consumers feel more confident about the eggs they buy from retailers.
Additionally, for consumers, the updated standards are one of the clearest ways to know that a free-range label reflects exactly how the hens live. The updated standards enhance how hens experience the outdoors, and they ensure that an independent auditor verified the conditions of these outdoor areas.
For more information about the updated free-range standards, visit https://www.americanhumane.org.
