Eggs in Aotearoa
In NZ it's still legal to have as many as 80 hens living in one cage.
Most free-range hens are still killed at a young age - at 12-18 months.
Battery cages banned in NZ, but not much changed.
Additions to the Animal Welfare Regulations mean that as from 1st January 2023, battery cages are illegal. Colony cages are still legal and as many as 80 hens could be cramped into a colony cage, with little room to spread their wings, no real roosting perch and no nesting material available. The cage has a wire floor, which is uncomfortable for the hens. They do not have access to outside and spend their lives under artificial lights.
Bigger cages, but more hens crammed in.
Hens kept in these conditions suffer from feather loss due to rubbing on the wire or against their cage mates. They may be attacked by cage mates, as all the animals are bored and frustrated. De-beaking may occur to prevent the worst injuries due to attacks. Dead birds may remain in the cage long enough for cannibalism to occur. This is not normal behaviour and thus colony cgaes are no real improvement from battery cages. For more information see Eggsplainer from Animal Aotearoa
Life as a barn hen
Barns provide a better environment for hens than the above mentioned colony cages. The hens are in a barn, so no wire floor or walls. They have more space – there should be no more than 7 hens per square metre and they can stretch their wings. They have enough space to exhibit normal behaviours. They spend their lives under artificial lights, though must be given 8 hours of darkness and do not get to go outside.
Free range hens
Free range eggs are produced by hens who have access to a barn enivironment, as above, and access to outside space during daylight hours. The outside space allowed is 2500 hens per hectare.
Some facilities are better than others but the larger a place is, the easier it is for hens to become overcrowded and to experience frustrated attacks from other hens. Floor litter may become dirtier quicker and dead hens may lie undiscovered.
Most free-range and barn hens will be killed at the same age as caged hens (between 12 and 18 months). The natural lifespan of a hen is around 10 years.
All male chicks are killed at just one day old, by gassing or maceration.
There really is no need to eat eggs at all and our handy egg-free alternatives guide can help you find the right choice for you.
How can you help end animal suffering?
Consider a vegan diet!
The human-animal relationship is inherently flawed. We love them, we make beautiful artistic images of them and then we exploit and abuse their bodies in a massive system of production that sees tens of millions of animals slaughtered in New Zealand each year simply to satisfy taste. We unnecessarily exploit animals for food, clothing, entertainment and experimentation.
If you really want to help animals, the answer is simple – be vegan!
Vegans don’t eat them, wear them or fund their abuse
