We use the "Five Domains of Animal Welfare" model to ensure the chickens live their best lives on the farm and have positive mental experiences. With access to nutrient rich food, a good physical environment, good health and the ability to behave as nature intended, we are raising the bar for animal welfare standards.
At Rangitikei Free Range our birds are everything to us and we ensure that they have the highest standard of care set out by the SPCA Certified® standards. We want our birds to thrive, and make sure that they have all the amenities for a happy, healthy life on the farm.
SPCA Certified is a voluntary animal welfare certification programme, owned and managed by SPCA New Zealand. The certification’s purpose is to improve animal welfare in both the farming and pet care sectors. The SPCA Certified ‘Blue Badge’ which can be found on our products, makes them easily identifiable and provides customers with the confidence that their choice supports higher animal welfare.
Our farms are set out to specifically cater to our birds at each stage of their life, providing a safe place to grow and develop from chick to full grown chicken.
During the first few weeks of the chick’s life, they live in a large barn mimicking the warmth, humidity, feed and water a nesting hen would provide.
Around the three-week mark, the birds are fully feathered and strong enough to venture outside for at least eight hours of sunlight. From there they roam freely, exploring their surrounds where they perform natural behaviors such as scratching, foraging or enjoying a dust bath.
After a full day of activity out in the sun, the chickens return to the comfort of their barn, protected from the elements and any predators.
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