Life in a Battery Cage
Many consider battery cages to be among the most inhumane forms of animal confinement. Hens kept in these systems endured horrific conditions before the ban, such as:
- Extreme overcrowding: up to six birds crammed into a single cage, with each hen given just 550 cm² of space, that’s less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
- Poor physical health: Brittle bones, fractures, foot conditions, metabolic disorders, cage layer fatigue, feather loss, and injuries from aggressive cage mates were just some of the health issues these birds endured.
- Short, brutal lives: Like all commercially farmed hens, battery caged hens were slaughtered at around 18 months of age, far younger than their natural lifespan, when their bodies could no longer keep up with the industry’s demand for egg production.
- Lack of mental stimulation: Battery cages provided only food and water. The denial of space and the physical and psychological enrichment opportunities are known to cause hens to experience extreme distress, boredom, frustration, fear, anxiety, and aggression towards other birds.
In 2012, the updated Code of Welfare for Layer Hens confirmed the ban on battery cages but introduced equally problematic ‘colony’ cages as their replacement. This decision was a devastating blow for hens and a staggering failure by the New Zealand Government. Rather than prioritising animal welfare, the code pushed hens from one cage into another. The introduction of colony cages in Aotearoa clearly favoured industry interests, and millions of hens have suffered as a result. If the government of the day had ensured that farming systems aligned with the Animal Welfare Act, tens of millions of hens could have been spared this ongoing misery.
Life in a colony cage
- No space for living: A single colony cage can contain up to 80 hens, with each bird allowed just 750 cm² of space – only slightly larger than an A4 sheet of paper.
- Widespread injury and illness: Brittle bones, fractures, foot conditions, metabolic disorders, cage layer fatigue, feather loss, and injuries from aggressive cage mates were just some of the health issues these birds endure.
- A life of suffering: Like all commercially farmed hens, colony caged hens are slaughtered at around 18 months of age, far younger than their natural lifespan, when their bodies could no longer keep up with the industry’s demand for egg production.
- Inadequate enrichment and restricted natural behaviours: Colony cages include metal perches, a rubber pad, and plastic flaps intended to mimic a ‘nesting area’. However, these features fall far short of replicating the natural living conditions required to support normal behaviours. With so many hens confined in an overcrowded space, access to these limited resources becomes highly competitive, leading to stress, frustration, and aggression.
The use of colony cages breaches New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act, as they prevent hens from expressing normal behaviours. Despite this, one-third of hens farmed for eggs in New Zealand are still confined to cruel colony cages.
Normal behaviours of hens
Hens are intelligent, curious animals with a wide range of natural behaviours they are unable to express normally in colony cage systems. These include, but are not limited to:
- Roaming and exploring their surroundings
- Foraging, digging, and scratching at the earth
- Dust bathing to maintain feather health and control parasites
- Sunbathing for warmth and vitamin D – an essential vitamin for feather and bone health
- Nest building and nesting in a quiet, secure space
