Right now, over 11 million ‘battery’ hens are imprisoned in small cages as part of egg production in Australia.
With up to 20 birds crammed into a single cage, these hens can be forced to live out their lives in a space that is less than an A4 sheet of paper. They barely have room to stretch their wings and are unable to act on their natural instincts and behaviours including wing flapping, grooming, preening, foraging and dust bathing.
To most Australians, confining hens in this way is animal abuse, yet NSW is home to the largest number of caged hen in any state and territory in Australia.
That is why I chaired an inquiry into battery cage hens here in NSW, and have committed to bringing transparency to animal agribusiness industries.
A big thank-you to the amazing animal activists who contributed to over 14,000 submissions to the committee, and to the experts who appeared at the hearings to describe the horrors these hens face every day.
If you’re interested in seeing what was said at the hearings you can read the transcripts here:
CLICK TO READ THE BATTERY CAGE HEN INQUIRY TRANSCRIPTS
However, despite over 14,000 submissions from a concerned public, NSW Labor has sided with the cruel egg industry - refusing to support an enforceable time-based phase out of all cages at a state or national level AND supporting the industry's desire to lie to consumers.
Despite this unethical and barbaric decision, I will not, and the Animal Justice Party will not give up. Together we will continue to demand that the cruel caged hen industry is brought to an end. The fight for hen freedom has only just begun.
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL NSW LABOR AND DEMAND THEY CHANGE THEIR POSITION ON BATTERY CAGES
If you have further stories to share about your own experience with battery cage hens, make sure to email our NSW office at [email protected] and the team will help make sure the NSW community and our politicians hear what you have to say.
Finally, don't forget to sign up to my mailing list so I can let you know first hand how we are creating change for these abused hens here in NSW Parliament.