Protestors call for battery cage ban

Victory update: Thanks to your support, a battery cage phase out has been announced, freeing millions of Australian hens from cages by 2036.

The peaceful action followed the release of recent documents which revealed Adam Marshall was going against the advice of his own department and opposing new hen welfare standards before he had even seen them. 

Protestors heard from Abigail Boyd from the NSW Greens, Emma Hurst from the Animal Justice Party, alongside animal welfare groups World Animal Protection, Humane Society International Australia and Animals Australia about the need for industry reform. 

Rochelle Flood, Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection said: 

“It’s safe to say MP Adam Marshall has been left with egg on his face after showing his complete lack of genuine consideration on this issue, opposing new hen welfare standards in March, before even seeing them. 

“Right now, the Minister is blatantly ignoring expert advice and putting at risk a national process for hen welfare reform, blindly supporting the cage egg industry and a cruel and outdated industry practice." 

More than nine million layer hens suffer in battery cages every year. Between three and eight birds are crammed in each cage, giving these hens less space than an A4 piece of paper. 

“Our politicians need to realise that the public don’t want to see layer hens in cages.

“NSW has the most layer hens of any Australian state, and its support is crucial to ensuring new welfare standards are adopted," Ms Flood added. 

Australian shoppers are purchasing more cage-free eggs. Both the retail and food service sectors are making the switch, with Woolworths, Coles and McDonald’s making cage-free commitments. Since 2012, the European Union, New Zealand and some American states have set new welfare codes that have banned the use of the standard battery cage.

We can’t let Australian hens remain caged. It's time to ban battery cages. Forever.