It is now law! NZ bans caged chickens for the production of eggs. We’re all pleased – Yes?

I must say, the Aotearoa New Zealand ban on caged chickens for eggs is a fantastic example of a classic PR move. It’s all just a façade, a show put on to appease the masses and make us believe that they do care about the welfare of animals.

Of course, I fully support the ban – don’t get me wrong.

Let’s start with the obvious: it’s not like the government just woke up one day and decided to ban caged chickens out of the goodness of their hearts. No, this was a calculated move, a response to public pressure fuelled by media and animal rights activists (me included!). And even then, the ban only applies to the small cages, so the chickens can be transferred into the Colony style cage, which can take up to 60 and 80 hens, only allowing each hen the size of an A4 piece of paper so the chickens can still suffer in their cramped, miserable quarters.

According to the spin, these cages are equipped with “furnishings” like nest boxes, perches and scratch pads. But, whichever way you look at it, they’re still in a wire cage.

The ban was set in place in 2012, giving the farmers ten years to sort their act out. Many invested money into the Colony system only to be thwarted by the supermarket chains who said their consumers wanted ‘free-range’ or ‘barn-raised’ and will stop selling all caged eggs by 2025 for one and 2027 for the other. (Yes, we only have two major supermarkets here!).

As far as I’m aware, the government did nothing to help these farmers: no financial aid, no incentives, and no support. Because the National government brought in the ban, I wonder if the current one just let it slip into the shadows.

Again, I’m in favour of taking the chickens out of cages. However, we can’t forget the environmental impact of this “compassionate” move. Free-range systems require more land, more water, and more feed, which contributes to deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. But of course, the government won’t acknowledge this.

And what about the chickens themselves? The ones who are supposed to benefit from this ban? Sure, they’ll have more room to move around, but they’ll be crammed into sheds with thousands of other birds living in filth and breathing in toxic air. And if they fall ill, they’ll still be treated with antibiotics, contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

But let’s not get bogged down by facts and logic. The ban on caged chickens is a feel-good measure designed to make us believe we’re doing something to help animals. And it’s working. People are patting themselves on the back for supporting “cruelty-free” eggs without realizing that the reality is far from the idyllic picture painted by the egg industry.

And, as many farmers have to now close up their colony systems and quit farming, I’m thinking that eggs will be imported to meet the demand. Who knows what lives those chickens may have? There should be financial and educational support for farmers to help them transition to horticulture or other uses for their land.

The ban on caged chickens for eggs is nothing more than a smokescreen, a hollow gesture aimed at making us think that the government cares about animal welfare. It will not make a real difference in the lives of chickens, and it will cause more harm than good in the long run. But hey, at least we can all feel good about ourselves, right?

Go vegan!

Until next time…