Safe and locals kicking up a stink over bad eggs

SAFE is joining Patumahoe locals to oppose the proposed building  of a caged-hen farm in South Auckland. Craddock Farms has been seeking  consent to build the factory farm for the past two years, but has been  denied resource consents on the grounds of odour likely to affect its  neighbours. The battle returns to the courts on Thursday 26 November,  when a hearing is scheduled for Craddock Farms’ appeal at the  Environment Court.
 

With a plan to keep 310,000 hens in cages, it would be one of the  largest factory farms in the country. Animal advocacy group SAFE has  become involved, saying the cages are one of the worst forms of cruelty.

“We hope the Environment Court will listen to the needs of the local  community and animals. The hens’ welfare should come before corporate  profit,” says Abi Izzard, campaigns officer. “It makes no sense to be  building a colony-cage farm when other countries are already in the  process of moving away from these cruel cages.”

Colony cages are difficult to distinguish from conventional battery  cages, bar a few cosmetic changes such as perches and a nesting area,  and there are not enough of either to cater for the number of hens  housed in each cage. The additional space allowance is marginal and the  cages still fail to adequately meet the birds’ welfare needs. Each hen  on this farm would have only slightly more living space than an A4 sheet  of paper.