Be A Good Egg this Christmas and help us improve hen welfare

However, did you stop to consider that behind every egg is a hen who deserve a good life? When we reach for our eggs in a handy cardboard carton, it’s important to consider the hens that lay them. Unfortunately not all egg systems are created equal when it comes to hen welfare. Have the hens been kept in a colony cage their whole lives, without the ability to display normal behaviours or fulfil specific wants and needs? Or have they been given a life worth living, one with room to move, and the ability to ‘be a hen’, scratching about, foraging, dust-bathing, wing stretching, preening, resting, roosting and sleeping comfortably?

The SPCA Certified layer hen standards raise the bar for hen welfare in New Zealand, by putting in place standards that not only work to reduce negative experiences, but that encourage positive ones. This includes dry friable litter for dust-bathing, adequate perches, enough space to move around freely and perform behaviours such as wing-flapping, and enrichments that encourage exploration and expression of their natural behaviour and curiosity. For those with access to an outside area (‘free-range’), the range must be well maintained and have good shade and shelter, giving the hens a sense of safety and encouraging them to explore further.

This Christmas, let’s be conscious consumers and reach for eggs from hens that have been farmed with care. Packaging that mentions ‘colony’ equals cages – just say no to these eggs. Instead, reach for cartons that display the SPCA Certified blue badge so you can be assured your eggs come from hens where the standards of care are above the legal requirements and provide for a good life.

So go on, be a good egg this Christmas and support kiwi farmers that are committed to raising the bar for animal welfare.

Here’s a full list of SPCA Certified egg products.

Help us drive change!