Why caged eggs must stop: hens deserve a life worth living

OPINION: Hens are curious and social birds who deserve a life worth living. They deserve to feel the sun on their backs, to be able to fully spread out their wings and to have the freedom to move away from others in their flock when they choose to.

All of this is denied to hens confined in cages to lay eggs on factory farms in New Zealand.

Recently, shocking new footage revealed what has been hidden behind the walls of Northern Eggs, a colony cage factory farm near Whangārei. The footage showed hens crammed into wire cages, some dying, others dead and rotting. Those still alive must walk over the rotting bodies of their cage mates. The eggs the surviving hens lay roll over the dead bodies to the conveyor belt which takes the eggs away to be sold. 

Hens kept in cages suffer extreme boredom and frustration, which can cause them to attack their cage mates. In nature, hens at the lower end of the hierarchy or pecking order can avoid being pecked by simply moving away from aggressive hens in their flock. Inside a cage, a submissive, sick or injured hen has nowhere to go. She can be repeatedly attacked until she is seriously injured or dead.  

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The rotting, trampled bodies shown in the recent footage are it seems 'business as usual' on factory farms like these. The same scenes were revealed in SAFE's 2016 exposé of a Waikato colony cage farm. 

Let me guess what the egg industry's response to this exposé will be. They'll say these conditions are not representative of colony cages. We've heard that line again and again from the industry spin doctors who are keen to protect the status quo — even if it means the continued appalling suffering of hens on New Zealand farms. 

In response to the suffering revealed at Northern Eggs, a complaint was laid by animal rights group SAFE with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The factory farm is breaching even the lowest standards of the Layer Hen Code of Welfare by failing to remove dead bodies on a daily basis.

But the Northland egg farm has been cleared of any welfare breaches.

It's not the first time MPI has failed to protect these sensitive animals. Back in 2016, MPI let a Waikato farm off without penalty, despite SAFE exposing the same abhorrent cruelty to hens. In fact, I fully expect the same response from MPI following this exposé. They are just not capable of enforcing the laws written to protect animals on farms.

Both industry and MPI are singing from the same song book, but their excuses ring hollow. 

Animals' lives matter. New Zealand desperately needs an independent agency to protect them. 

Colony cages, which the previous National Government introduced to replace outlawed battery cages, are already being phased out overseas. And in response to consumer concerns, all New Zealand supermarkets have committed to take cage eggs off their shelves. 

Just as our supermarkets know that caring New Zealanders won't stand for cage cruelty, so do our politicians. Before the 2017 election, both Labour and the Greens promised to ban colony cages if they were elected. But it is now our Government's 'year of delivery' and nothing has been done for the hens. 

It's time for our Government's brand of kindness to be extended to hens. To be free to stretch out her wings, to feel the sun on her back, to dust bathe — a life free from a cage — what a meaningful gift to give each of the 1.3 million hens confined in cages this Christmas.

I encourage all caring Kiwis to ask the question of Labour and the Greens: When will they fulfil their pre-election promise to ban colony cages? 

And if all this suffering is leaving a bad taste in your mouth, try out these remarkable and simple egg alternatives for a happy and kind Christmas for both you and the hens. 

Marianne McDonald is Safe's campaign manager