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A sustainable future for NZ egg farming – About Colony farming
Watch this new video from the Egg Producers Federation to learn more about sustainable egg farming in New Zealand, welfare considerations, and new Colony farming.
Eggs are a natural, extremely nutritious, affordable and versatile food loved by Kiwis, who eat more than 1 billion every year.
Eggs are also one of the most environmentally efficient sources of livestock produce.
Sustainable egg farming is a vital part of our country's future food security – ensuring all New Zealanders have access to affordable, nutritious eggs farmed in good conditions.
Many years of welfare and farming research internationally and in New Zealand has seen the advent of the Colony. This is a new type of layer hen housing that enables the birds to move around and express their natural behaviours, such as nesting, perching and scratching, while retaining the many other farming and welfare advantages of cages.
Colonies have been endorsed by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee for adoption here in New Zealand in the Animal Welfare (Layer Hens) Code of Welfare 2012. The New Zealand egg industry has indicated its desire to move to this new system as soon as economically possible. In other parts of the world, colonies have been used in many Europe countries for some years and are now required by law across the whole of the EU (as of 1 January 2012). Colonies are also being proposed in the USA to replace conventional cages with support from the American Humane Society.