Source: SAFE For Animals
Slovenia has announced a total ban on caging hens by the end of 2028. The move follows Sweden’s announcement last month that is has officially ended the caging of hens without needing a legal ban, driven by overwhelming public opposition to animal cruelty.
SAFE’s Head of Campaigns, Jessica Chambers, says while these international shifts are worth celebrating, they highlight just how broken New Zealand’s animal welfare system has become.
“New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act promises animals the right to express normal behaviours, yet over 1.2 million hens continue to suffer in dark, crowded cages, unable to move freely or spread their wings” says Chambers.
SAFE says hens will continue to languish in cages until the Government addresses its systemic failures and the outdated and compromised welfare codes allow the law to be undermined.
Public sentiment stands firmly on the side of hens. In 2023, more than 22,000 New Zealanders signed SAFE’s petition calling for a ban on cages. And in 2022, hundreds of veterinary professionals added their voices to an open letter urging the Government to end the use of cages – citing serious concerns for animal welfare.
“It’s indefensible. We have the knowledge, the law, and the public support to end this cruelty – yet the cages remain. That’s a failure of leadership.”
SAFE has sent a formal letter to the Minister for Animal Welfare, requesting an update on when the government will align hen farming practices with the Animal Welfare Act and implement a full ban on cages.
“Millions of hens have lived and died in cages while the Government turns a blind eye,” says Chambers.
“It’s time for decisive action. New Zealand must uphold its commitment to animal welfare and free hens from cages.”
