Animal Rights Activists And Pukekohe Community Protest Countdown
Press release: Ban Chicken Layer Cages
Date: 16/04/2016

This morning 40 protestors held a rally outside Pukekohe’s largest Coundown in a bid to get them to go cage free.

Protesters were incensed after the recent Farmwatch expose where a Putararu farm that supplies Countdown was shown to be cruelly and illegally caging egg laying hens. While they do not supply any eggs from the new colony cage systems the expose also showed these to be a danger to the hens housed in them.

Peta Berry, the spokesperson for Ban Chicken Layer Cages said “We had a great turnout today and loads of support by the commuters by way of toots and cheers.”

“We also invited Countdown to join us make a commitment to go cage free at some stage in the future. James Walker, the spokesperson for Countdown responded that “There are [ ] customers who need an affordable source of protein for their families, and the vast majority of hen farmers in New Zealand are investing in colony cages in line with the Government's animal welfare code.”

“People need to stop treating cage free products like a luxury item and then the price of these eggs will reduce. As farmers settle in to the cage free systems they will find efficiencies and prices will become standardised”

“We want to see Countdown match their siblings in Australia and name a date to go cage free. This would increase the cage free eggs sold in New Zealand by more than 50%.” Mrs Berry said.

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