![]() “It’s temporary at the moment,” she said. ![]() The Egg Producers’ Federation told Stuff this month that the phasing out of colony cage eggs by retailers was a significant reason for the current shortage, and raising more chickens to laying age would take months.Ĭlezy asked those considering an avian impulse-purchase not to crack. The country’s major supermarkets pledged in recent years to voluntarily stop selling colony eggs by 2027, but egg producers said some farmers had already made the switch from battery to colony cages – at a cost of millions of dollars – and some had left the industry altogether, while others had waited years for resource consents to amend their operations. New Zealand’s law still allows colony cages – which house about 60 chickens and allow birds more space than battery pens. Egg producers warned of shortages despite a 10-year notice of the ban, while some animal welfare advocates decried the change because it did not outright ban cage farming, as the European Union plans to do by 2027. The flap over the country’s egg supply gathered pace in the months leading up to the prohibition on battery cages. Conventional chickens do not typically get to go outside at all. If the chickens are egg-laying hens, then these cages usually contain six chickens with each one getting a mere 67 square inches of space or sometimes even less. The export value for the year ending June 2022 was about NZ$18m (£9m), while the Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand website reports that retail sales of eggs are worth upwards of NZ$286m. Conventional chickens are most often raised in cages. New Zealand has 3.9m hens for egg production, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries. Most of Malta’s local egg production may go out of business if the EU Commission’s pledge to blanket ban cage-farmed chickens becomes a reality, MEP candidate Peter Agius said on Friday. Owners must also abide by local council rules and permissions for chicken-keeping that vary across the country. Those considering raising hens would need to commit to a flock of at least three – chickens are social birds – and provide a clean coop, enough space, veterinary care, and good quality food and water, according to the SPCA. In the past, chicken abandonment has followed periods of increased popularity for the birds, Clezy said. Consumers have been increasingly interested in moving toward cage-free egg production systems, yet 70 percent of laying hens still spend their lives in. The SPCA took in 370 live chickens in 2022 – most of them surrendered, abandoned, or removed by inspectors on animal welfare grounds. “They are fun companion animals to have,” Clezy said. Those adopting chickens “might be surprised to discover” that the birds could live for a decade or longer, might produce eggs only during their first two or three years, and would not start laying for several months, she said. ![]() “I understand it seems like a good idea, but please don’t get a chicken unless you can look after it long-term,” said chief executive Gabby Clezy, “None of us want to see any more abandoned.” But New Zealand animal charity SPCA is urging caution among aspiring poultry-raising enthusiasts.
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