Government moves to keep mother pigs in cages indefinitely

The Government has taken a major step backwards for animal welfare by advancing a Bill that would allow the continued use of mating stalls and farrowing crates – cages that stop mother pigs from turning around, nesting, or caring for their piglets.

The Animal Welfare (Regulations for Management of Pigs) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament on October 7, 2025. If enacted, it will amend the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to make these intensive confinement systems explicitly legal, despite a 2020 High Court ruling that found them unlawful.

Cruelty written into law

Farrowing crates and mating stalls are part of an engineered problem – systems designed around what’s practical for farmers, instead of what’s right for animals.

Farrowing crates are highly restrictive metal cages used when mother pigs give birth and nurse their piglets. They were originally developed to reduce the risk of piglets being accidentally crushed when the mother lies down – a problem linked to intensive indoor farming and selective breeding for large litter sizes. In natural environments, mother pigs build elaborate nests before giving birth and are highly attentive to their piglets, meaning crushing is rare.

Mating stalls confine pigs during the breeding process. Pigs are forced to endure repeated inseminations while trapped in narrow metal pens just large enough to stand or lie down, but not to turn or move freely. For mother pigs, it is one of the most distressing parts of their short, controlled lives.

The Bill permits up to seven days of confinement in farrowing crates – three days before birth and four days after. Mating stalls may still be used for up to three hours at a time, and the law will be rewritten to validate these systems indefinitely.

The new limits would not take effect until 2035, meaning the status quo of confinement continues for another decade.

Every mother pig deserves the simple dignity of turning to see her piglets, building a nest, and resting in comfort. This Bill denies them even that. By embedding these cages into the Animal Welfare Act, the Government is removing any legal pathway for future challenge – a move that cements cruelty, not compassion, into law.

Ignoring science and the courts

In 2020, the High Court ruled in favour of the New Zealand Animal Law Association and SAFE, declaring that the minimum standards and regulations permitting farrowing crates and mating stalls were invalid and unlawful. The Court found that these systems prevent pigs from displaying normal patterns of behaviour, as required under the Animal Welfare Act.

Scientific research supports this conclusion. Decades of animal welfare science show that these systems cause extreme stress and frustration for mother pigs. They are intelligent and social animals with a strong instinct to build nests before giving birth. Extreme confinement in crates leads to both psychological distress and physical problems such as injuries and weakened muscles.

Following the 2020 court case, the Government of the day committed to phasing out these cages by December 2025. Instead, this Government has chosen to amend the law itself to make the same practices lawful again, undermining both the Court’s judgment and the rule of law.

There has been no genuine consultation on these changes, and the process appears designed to avoid judicial scrutiny. What’s being framed as reform is, in reality, a reversal of progress and a dangerous precedent for animal protection in Aotearoa.

When governments change the law to make cruelty legal, every safeguard for animals is at risk.

No public mandate for cruelty

Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard has defended the Bill as “science-based policy” that “strengthens animal welfare” and reflects “compassion and practicality.” Yet these claims bear little resemblance to public opinion or to the scientific evidence on pig welfare.

Polling conducted by Verian in September 2025 found that public opinion on farrowing crates is clear. Three in four New Zealanders oppose their use, and almost as many support an outright ban. More than half the population believes the Government is taking too long to phase out these cages. These findings show that the majority of people want faster, stronger action to protect pigs – not policies that keep them confined indefinitely.

New Zealanders overwhelmingly believe animals deserve protection from cruelty and neglect. Nearly everyone surveyed (98%) believes it’s important to protect animals from harm, and 78% percent are concerned farmed animals suffer due to poor living conditions or lack of proper care. Only 38% trust the farming sector to prioritise animal welfare. 

Most New Zealanders reject the idea that animals should spend their lives confined indoors. The vast majority (88%) believe animals should have the freedom to go outside when they want, and nearly eight in ten are concerned about welfare conditions on factory farms. 

These results reflect overwhelming public rejection of the very systems this Bill seeks to protect. There is no mandate for cruelty. 

What’s truly at stake

Pigs are intelligent, social, and deeply emotional animals. They form close bonds, communicate through a wide range of vocalisations, and even play games when given the chance. Research shows pigs can recognise themselves in mirrors, remember past experiences, and solve complex problems. 

These animals are curious, playful, and affectionate – yet under this Bill, their lives will be defined by confinement and deprivation. Recognising their intelligence and emotional depth reminds us what’s truly at stake: devoted mothers who long to live freely and care for their young.  

What you can do to help

It’s not too late for Parliament to change course. Mother pigs deserve better, and so does every New Zealander who believes in fairness, science, and compassion.  

The Animal Welfare (Regulations for Management of Pigs) Amendment Bill has now been referred to the Primary Production Select Committee, and is accepting submissions until October 23, 2025.  

You can help ensure kindness, not cruelty, shapes New Zealand’s animal laws: 

• Make a submission today – your voice is crucial.  

• Sign the open letter calling on Parliament to withdraw this Bill and uphold the intent of the Animal Welfare Act. 

• Share this article to help raise awareness of what farrowing crates mean for mother pigs. 

The measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable. Let’s make sure our laws reflect the compassion New Zealanders believe in.