Factory farming debaters to look chicken in the eye

MPs participating in a panel discussion about factory farming will come face-to-face with a real live hen, rescued from the claws of the intensive farming industry. Hettie the Hen will demonstrate to the MPs what little space is afforded to each of New Zealand’s three million battery hens.

The Great Factory Farming Debate aims to discover which political parties take animal welfare seriously and will take action to end the cruel incarceration of millions of animals. “We are pleased that MPs from across the political spectrum will be at the debate,” says SAFE Executive Director Hans Kriek. “With the help of Hettie the Hen, the debate should be stimulating and see to it that factory-farmed animals get the political attention they deserve.”

“Factory farming is the number one animal welfare issue facing New Zealand and it absolutely has to be discussed. Recent exposés of cruelty on factory pig farms have outraged the New Zealand public and people demand change,” says Mr Kriek. A Horizon poll taken earlier this month shows that 76.7 per cent of respondents want farrowing crates banned and 71.8 per cent say that colony cages are not an acceptable alternative to current battery hen cages.

“The poll further shows that 20.2 percent would definitely vote for a party that has a policy to end factory farming and 64.7 percent say they are more likely to. While this does not predict how people will cast their votes on September 20 it indicates a very strong policy preference, so politicians would be well advised to take note and more importantly, take action,” says Mr Kriek.

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