What often characterizes standard free-range conditions in the UK according to the Ethical Consumer assessment?

Large sheds with minimal outdoor access, sometimes one exit for 600 hens

Although the term 'free-range' implies significant outdoor access, evaluations like the one conducted by Ethical Consumer in the UK reveal that standard labeling often covers conditions that are restrictive for the laying hens. In many conventional free-range operations, the standard setting involves housing the birds in large sheds. Access to the outdoors may be limited, and critically, the infrastructure for exiting the shed can be inadequate for the flock size, sometimes involving only a single exit point for as many as 600 hens. Furthermore, beak trimming remains a standard procedure in many of these conventional free-range setups, indicating that the welfare outcomes do not always align with the consumer perception associated with the 'free-range' designation alone, contrasting sharply with organic or biodynamic mandates.