TELL DAVID CARTER
TO SAY NO TO CAGES
If you are shocked by the images of the proposed colony battery hen cages, now is the time to act! David Carter, the Minister for Primary Industries, is about to announce the latest Code of Welfare for Layer Hens, which will decide on the future of battery cages.
If it were left to the egg industry, hens would continue to suffer in cages indefinitely. Please tell the MInister that you want to see an end to all cruel cage systems. In doing so, you will also be reminding him that animal welfare is an important issue. Send your ecard now!
Dear David Carter,
I have seen recent images of the colony cage systems proposed in the draft Code of Welfare for Layer Hens and I am dismayed. The cages are barren and overcrowded and it shocks me that these could be considered the ‘future’ of egg production in New Zealand.
At present 88 per cent of layer hens are cruelly confined in battery cages. These cages have severe space restrictions, are overcrowded and cause behavioural frustration and associated health problems for the hens. The proposed colony cage systems likewise do not allow hens to express their normal behaviour as is required under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and are simply another kind of battery cage.
Opinion polls show eight out of ten New Zealanders want battery hen cages banned. Please use your influence to ensure that the principles of the AWA are upheld.
This is an important issue for me and I would like to know what action you intend to take on this matter. Please support a phase-out of all cages without any further delay.