You called on the Minister to be a good egg for layer hens

Did you see your open letter to NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall in the Sydney Morning Herald? Check it out:

Thanks to you, the NSW Agriculture Minister – along with the rest of Sydney – saw our full-page ad. It called on the Minister, Adam Marshall, to support the phase out of battery cages for layer hens. It couldn’t have happened without the wonderful support of animal lovers like you. Thank you.

The number of signatures for the layer hen online letter is 8,992 and counting!

There was also a positive turnout to the action outside Parliament House with MPs involved and chicken-suited volunteers “free ranging” around the city handing out postcards.

The open letter to the Minister built on this momentum and ran on behalf of Aussies like you who expect better for our layer hens.

The letter called on the Minister to support the proposed phase-out of battery cages as this is a once in a generation opportunity to help free 11 million hens a year from a life of suffering.

Battery cages force layer hens to live in a space no larger than an A4 sheet of paper. This is no life for a chicken. These intelligent and social birds can’t even open their wings. Battery cages have already been banned in a number of countries, and caged eggs are being phased-out by major supermarkets and food companies across the world.

We cannot let Australia fall behind.

The open letter to Adam Marshall went on to urge the Minister to “be a good egg” and support the proposal for a phase-out of battery cages when it is considered by Australian agriculture ministers later next year.

We were forced to go to the Minister directly because the recent NSW Inquiry didn’t go far enough – by agreeing only to an “in principle phase out of battery cages”. We need to see a solid commitment to bring real change for chickens.

Thanks again for keeping the pressure up on Government to do the right thing by Australian layer hens. We will continue to actively campaign until chickens are freed from cages.

(Header Image Credit: WSPA/gravedangerphotography)

The number of signatures for the layer hen online letter is 8,992 and counting!