The Green Party is calling for Government to put an end to caged chickens following tonight's Story investigation showing frightened and dead chickens in colony cages.
They believe colony cages are cruel and should not be seen as a replacement for battery cages, but rather would like to see chickens freed from cages altogether.
"The Ministry for Primary Industries falsely claim colony cages are better for chickens, but this footage shows that they can be as bad as the old battery cages," said Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Mojo Mathers.
She said chickens in cages live in miserable conditions and the Government has spun the issue to make colony cages seem like a kinder alternative to battery cages.
"Being confined in cramped cages is a cruel way to keep hens. New Zealanders care about animal welfare, so we should be moving away from battery and colony cages to cage-free systems.
"The Government must step in to raise the minimum standards for layer hens in this country and ban all cruel cage systems."
She said Government has committed to getting rid of battery cages by 2022, but replacing them with colony cages doesn't make sense.
"Austria, Germany and Switzerland have already set phase-out dates for colony cages. Their phase-out dates will take effect around the time that we move into colony cages, making New Zealand seem ethically backwards in the eyes of international consumers.
"By continuing to use cruel cages for egg laying we are missing an opportunity to make real ethical changes. Cage-free is the best way to go."
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