Send an e-card to the Leader of the Opposition, Labour's David Shearer, to say NO to cruel colony cages.
88 per cent of egg-laying hens in New Zealand spend their entire lives confined in factory farms, crammed inside tiny battery cages. They cannot express their most basic natural behaviours – stretching their wings, walking or foraging.
Under the new Code of Welfare for Layer Hens (released December 2012) standard barren battery cages will not be banned until 2023 and will then be replaced with colony cages – another type of cage.
These new confinement systems have been condemned by international animal welfare agencies as inadequate and cruel.
Use your voice to demand political parties send a clear message that they will ban these cages when they are in power. The egg industry will be reluctant to invest millions of dollars in colony cages if they believe a future government will ban them.
The National Government had the opportunity to end the cruel confinement of hens but failed to do so. This is why Labour’s stance on colony cages is so important.
Ask the Leader of the Opposition, Labour's David Shearer, to say NO to cruel colony cages. Send your e-card now!
Dear David Shearer,
I am writing to you, as the leader of the Labour party and leader of the Opposition, concerning a matter that is very important to me. The National Government has released a code of welfare allowing cruel colony battery cages to replace current battery hen cages.
Colony cages do not allow hens to express their normal behaviours as is required under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and are simply another kind of battery cage. You can find more information about these cages at: http://www.safe.org.nz/stop-factory-farming/layer-hens/colony-cage/.
I am asking you to take a strong stand against the introduction of colony battery cages and commit to banning these cages should you be part of a new government.
This is an important issue for me and I would like to know your stance on colony cages. Please can you tell me:
- Do you believe colony battery cages are cruel?
- Would you support the phase-out of colony battery cages if you were part of a new government?
I look forward to your response on this important animal welfare matter.
Yours sincerely,
