Millions of farmed animals in New Zealand spend part or all of their lives confined in cages each year. Cages restrict animals’ movement and prevent them from carrying out normal behaviours. SPCA wants to see these systems phased out and replaced with farming systems that give animals the opportunity to have a life where their physical, health and behavioural needs are met.

Pigs in farrowing crates

Thousands of mother pigs (sows) in New Zealand are confined in cages, called farrowing crates, each year when they give birth and nurse their piglets. Sows generally give birth twice a year and can spend between seven days to five weeks confined in a crate each time. Farrowing crates are so narrow that a sow cannot even turn around. They severely restrict her movement and prevent important natural behaviours, such as building a nest before giving birth and interacting normally with her piglets. Confinement can also contribute to physical problems like sores and lameness.

Farrowing crates were intended to protect piglets from being accidentally crushed by the sow, but keeping the sow almost completely immobilised is not the only way to achieve this. Well-designed free-farrowing pens can provide good piglet survival while giving sows much greater freedom of movement and the ability to show normal mothering behaviour with her piglets.

Hens in colony cages

Over a million layer hens are kept in cages, often called ‘colony’ or ‘enriched’ cages, in New Zealand for their entire productive lives. In 2012, the government announced a ban on battery cages (also called conventional cages) for layer hens, with a 10-year phase-out period to allow the industry time to adequately transition. But colony cages were allowed to remain.

Colony cages are larger than the battery cages they replaced, but they still significantly restrict hens. A typical cage houses around 60 birds, with each hen having little more floor space than an A4 sheet of paper. They cannot properly perform important natural behaviours such as dust bathing, foraging and ranging. Providing slightly more space and some additional features does not overcome the fundamental welfare problems associated with keeping hens permanently confined in cages.

Imported animal products and labelling

Moving away from cages would require some New Zealand farmers to make significant investments in new farming systems. SPCA believes improving animal welfare should not mean putting farmers who do the right thing at a competitive disadvantage.

More than 60% of the pork consumed in New Zealand is imported, including pork produced using farming practices that would not meet New Zealand's animal welfare requirements. These products can be cheaper precisely because producers overseas do not necessarily face the same standards expected of New Zealand farmers.

New Zealand needs a clear plan to phase out the use of cages for farmed animals. For pigs, this means moving from farrowing crates to well-designed free-farrowing pens that protect piglets while allowing sows to express normal maternal behaviours. For layer hens, it means moving away from colony cages to cage-free systems.

Government should set clear, ambitious timelines and work with farmers to support a practical and orderly transition to higher-welfare farming.

But improving welfare at home cannot happen in isolation from what we import. Animal products imported for sale in New Zealand should therefore meet or exceed equivalent New Zealand animal welfare standards, alongside clearer labelling of how and where products were produced.

Together, these measures would improve the lives of millions of animals while giving farmers certainty, creating a level playing field and giving consumers confidence.

2026

• New Zealand’s National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee launches Phase 1 of the review of the code of welfare for layer hens. SPCA submitted in favour of phasing out cages. Phase 2, which will consider colony cages, is due to begin by the end of 2026.

• The European Commission adopted its new EU Livestock Strategy which commits to propose a phaseout of colony cages by the end of 2026, a transition away from farrowing and gestation crates by the second quarter of 2027, and applying these standards to imports.

• DEFRA (UK) consulted on a proposal to phase-out the use of colony cages for laying hens. The proposal included a ban on building new colony cage systems by 2027, and a total ban from 2032.

2025

• The UK Government's Animal Welfare Strategy for England is updated and includesa commitment tophasing out the use of colony cages and farrowing crates.

• The European Commission launches public consultation on new animal welfare legislation, including a proposal on phasing out the use of cages.

• NZ Government passes the Animal Welfare (Regulations for Management of Pigs) Amendment Bill under urgency, which allows the current use of farrowing crates until 2035 and then allows the temporary use of farrowing crates indefinitely. SPCA submits in opposition and urges New Zealanders to speak up.

• The use of colony cages is now prohibited in Germany, with exceptional cases allowed until 2028.

• The British Veterinary Association and Pig Veterinary Society call for a transition away from the traditional use of farrowing crates.

• Cages are no longer used for laying hens in Sweden.

2024 

• In March, SPCA, Animal Policy International and the New Zealand Animal Law Association publish report on animal product imports, “Closing the Welfare Gap”.

• In September, SPCA attends the handover of a petition to apply animal welfare standards to imports.

• Finland bans the building of new farrowing crates for pigs.

2023 

• The Danish Ministry of Agriculture and the Danish Pig Producers Association agree not to build farrowing crates into any new build barns.

• The creation of new cage system facilities for laying hens is prohibited in Denmark, with a mandated phase-out of colony cages within 12 years.

2022 

• NZ public consultation on two options for phasing out farrowing crates for pigs: a total ban, or a requirement to build a larger pen, and to provide opportunities for nesting behaviour, before 2-3 days of crating.

• SPCA submits in support of an NZ Pork petition to apply equal animal welfare standards to imported pork.

• Israel announced a ban on the building of any new cage-based systems for laying hens, with a full ban from 2037

2020

• The NZ High Court ruled that farrowing crates breach the Animal Welfare Act, ordering their phase-out by the end of 2025.

• Norway bans the use of farrowing crates; temporary crates are permitted for up to seven days.

• Germany announced a ban phasing out farrowing crates; temporary crates are permitted for up to five days.

• Austria bans the use of colony cages for laying hens.

• Slovakian government and industry signed a memorandum to end the use of cages for laying hens by 2030.

• The Czech Republic bans the use of cages for laying hens from 2027.

2018

• Over 100,000 New Zealanders sign a petition calling for a ban on farrowing crates for pigs.

• The European Citizens Initiative, End the Cage Age, is launched and eventually gathers over 1.4 million signatures.

• SPCA submits in support of the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill

• France bans the installation of new or retrofitted cage systems for laying hens.

2009

• The Belgian government announced a ban phasing out the use of colony cages for laying hens, with the ban in Wallonia coming into effect in 2028.

2007 

• Switzerland bans farrowing crates, including temporary crates. Luxembourg applies a full cage ban for laying hens.

1988 

• Sweden bans farrowing crates for sows, including temporary crates.