Hens deserve kindness, compassion and the freedom to live a life worth living. Hens are intelligent, curious and socially complex animals with a strong need to carry out their natural behaviour. When free to roam outdoors, a hen will spend her days scratching at the ground, searching for food, dust bathing, stretching her wings and basking in the sun.
In New Zealand, over 2.3 million hens are kept in small wire cages to produce eggs. These intensive farming conditions prevent hens from being able to carry out their most basic behaviours, which can cause serious welfare issues.
Your actions can make a huge difference for the millions of hens living in cramped, unnatural conditions on intensive farms. Take action now to free hens from cages in New Zealand.
We are seeing incredible change for hens across New Zealand. Three quarters (76%) of Kiwis polled want to see hens freed from cages. Supermarkets, foodservice groups, café outlets and restaurant chains across the country are committed to phasing out the use of cage eggs.
Around the world, hens are being spared from a lifetime in cages by progressive politicians. Cages are banned or being phased out in parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic and the Walloon Region of Belgium. In the USA, nine states have already banned the sale and production of cage eggs.
New Zealand’s leaders know Kiwis care about hens. In 2014 and 2017, the Labour Party promised to ban colony cages. The Green Party of Aotearoa has also committed to free hens from cages.
New Zealand voters have elected the Labour Party to lead our country for another three years. Now is the time to stand together and demand positive change for hens from our politicians.
In 2017, Countdown made a commitment to its customers, and to hens, to remove cage eggs from its shelves by 2024 for its North Island stores and 2025 for its South Island stores. Since then, all of Countdown’s supermarket competitors, major foodservice groups, restaurant chains, café outlets, and hotel companies have pledged to ditch cage eggs.
Supermarkets purchase around 60% of the eggs produced in New Zealand annually. Their cage-free commitments have given cage egg farmers the motivation they needed to transition to cage-free egg farming methods. This is why it is so crucial for supermarkets to fulfill their cage-free egg commitments.
This week, Countdown announced five of its 134 stores have removed cage eggs from their shelves as the supermarket group works towards meeting its cage-free commitment deadlines. Countdown are now calling this a ‘trial’ and want to hear feedback from caring New Zealanders.
This email will be sent directly to Countdown’s customer feedback team. You will also receive a copy for your records.
In 2014 and 2017, the Labour Party said they would finally free hens from cages. Yet today, hens are still waiting.
New Zealand voters have elected the Labour Party to lead our country for another three years. Now is the time for Labour to fulfil their promise and ban colony cages.
If we continue to stand together and hold our leaders to account, we can free hens from cages for good in Aotearoa.
We have prepared a message that you can send to Hon Damien O’Connor. If you have time, please write your own personal message or edit the message below. A personal email from you will always have more impact!
This email will be sent directly to Hon Damien O’Connor. You will also receive a copy for your record. Emails are public information, if you would like any of your information withheld please write so in your email.
Colony cages have been approved as the new caged system to replace soon-to-be illegal battery cages. In essence, colony cages are just larger versions of battery cages that are capable of housing many more hens. Colony cages still breach New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act 1999 as they do not allow hens to express their natural behaviour.
Your actions can make a huge difference for the millions of hens living life in cramped, unnatural conditions on intensive farms. Whether you have an evening to spare or just five minutes, sign up and speak out for hens in New Zealand.
Get ready to be inspired by how enjoyable, easy and delicious it can be to live in a way that is kinder to our planet and all who live on it.
As a charity, SAFE is reliant on the support of caring people like you to carry out our valuable work. Every gift goes towards providing education, undertaking research and campaigning for the benefit of all animals. SAFE is a registered charity in New Zealand (CC 40428). Contributions of $5 or more are tax-deductible.
SAFE Animal Squad