Posted on 8-4-2002

Battery Hens In NZ
From www.rnzspca.org.nz/campaigns/campaigns.html (The bird pictured is a
real New Zealand battery hen. Although she is badly defeathered, hens like
her are a common sight on battery farms)

Statistics
· 2.4 million battery hens are farmed each year.
· 95% of all layer hens are battery hens.
· They produce over 60 million dozen eggs per year.
· People consume 200 eggs on average per year.
· There are approximately 130 egg producers in New Zealand.
· 20% of these account for 50% of the total egg production.
· Due to selective breeding each hen lays about 310 eggs per year.
· Her wild ancestor, the junglefowl, would lay 10 to 20 eggs per year.

The Battery Cage
· Each bird has just 450 sq. cm of living space (less space than an A4
sheet of paper).
· The wire (sometimes plastic) floor is sloped to allow the eggs to roll
forward for easy collection.
· A battery hen can't peck and scratch or dust bathe.
· She can't walk.
· She can't even stretch her wings.
· She is denied fresh air and sunlight.

Inflicted Cruelty
· Most battery hens are debeaked when they are just five days old.
· Debeaking involves searing off the end of a chicken's beak with a red-hot
blade.
· This procedure is carried out to reduce the effects of cannibalism,
caused by overcrowding and stressful living conditions.
· Debeaking can cause lifelong pain, and impair the hen's ability to eat
normally.
· Some hens have their middle toe cut off to minimise foot injuries.
· Because male birds don't lay eggs, 50% of all one-day-old chicks are
killed by gassing or instantaneous fragmentation.

The SPCA's website address above provides more information including how to
send an email or written submission to get a battery cage ban.