SPCA warns against permanent reduction in welfare standards for laying hens after Bird Flu arrives in New Zealand

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is currently consulting on a proposal to permanently increase the maximum indoor stocking density for laying hens kept in barns (without outdoor access), from seven hens per square metre to nine hens per square metre.

"We can support emergency preparedness and a resilient food supply without compromising the animal welfare gains New Zealand has worked hard to achieve," SPCA Senior Scientific Officer Marie McAninch says.

While the proposal was prompted by the need to prepare for a potential outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the change will not be limited to emergency disease outbreaks.

SPCA supports practical readiness planning to help protect animal health and maintain egg supply during an HPAI outbreak. However, SPCA says a temporary response to an extraordinary situation should not result in a permanent reduction in welfare standards for hens.

"New Zealand needs to be prepared for the possibility of bird flu spreading to poultry farms, and we support sensible contingency planning that allows farmers to respond quickly during an emergency," says Marie.

"However, a temporary response to an emergency situation should not be used as a reason to permanently increase stocking densities for hens housed indoors.”

SPCA is disappointed that the proposal does not give sufficient weight to the available scientific evidence. NAWAC's own evaluation acknowledges that increasing stocking density can negatively affect animal welfare.

"More hens in the same amount of space means birds have less room to move, rest and express natural behaviours. This is a step backwards for animal welfare," says Marie.

"NAWAC's own assessment recognises that higher stocking densities can negatively impact welfare, and that should give decision-makers pause before weakening existing standards."

SPCA challenges the suggestion that a temporary, risk-based approach is not feasible.

“Making changes conditional on disease response is absolutely feasible. We are already managing changing requirements in other areas of the response, including through government advice and support around labelling for free range products.

A traffic-light system is already being discussed. We can design a temporary, targeted mechanism for periods of elevated H5N1 risk without permanently reducing our animal welfare standards.”

SPCA is further concerned about the transparency of the process leading to the consultation.

Appendix One of NAWAC's evaluation report states that targeted pre-consultation was undertaken with selected stakeholders.

"SPCA operates New Zealand's largest higher-welfare assurance programme through SPCA Certified, yet we were not included in the pre-consultation process," Marie says.

"For a proposal with significant implications for animal welfare, it is important that decision-makers hear from a broad range of stakeholders. In this case, farmers who have designed and built their operations around higher welfare standards could be placed at a competitive disadvantage if minimum legal requirements are weakened," says Marie.

SPCA is encouraging members of the public to review the proposal and make a submission to NAWAC before the consultation closes.

Members of the public can make a submission here.