Chicken welfare under scrutiny

Major gaps in the welfare protections for meat chickens are being targeted by a working group including the SPCA and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The resulting regulations are expected to take effect next year. The measures will follow two new regulations which come in to force for layer hens, amid a wider animal welfare update, on October 1.

These make it an offence to use conventional battery cages and prohibit induced moulting. Failure to comply with either of these regulations could result in a criminal conviction and a fine of up to $5000 for an individual, or $25,000 for a business.

At present, there are no regulations of this sort that are specific to meat chickens, although they are covered by the Animal Welfare Act and the Code of Welfare for Meat Chickens.

Information released by the ministry under the Official Information Act shows four welfare reports were prepared on chicken farms supplying Tegel, Brinks or Inghams in the past five years.

Only one resulted in a minor offence being detected – live chickens were found in a pile of dead ones, their heads up and eyes open but unable to move. The issue was resolved by providing education about farmers’ responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act.

SPCA chief executive Arnja Dale said the working group would develop another tool for compliance officers to use. Breach of the new regulations could lead to a fine. More serious offending would continue to be dealt with by the Animal Welfare Act.

There was a lot of room for improvement in how the industry operated, she said.

New Zealand meat chickens have been bred to grow at a rapid rate, which can cause musculoskeletal and cardiac problems. The country does not have access to ‘‘humane growers’’ – birds that grow at a slightly slower rate, without so many resulting health problems, Dale said.

The working group also includes the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), the Poultry Industry Association and the Egg Producers Federation.

Green Party spokesman for animal welfare Gareth Hughes said New Zealand had worldleading legislation but the practice on the ground was lagging.

‘‘We’re seeing systemic animal abuses across the agricultural sector.’’

There were only a couple of dozen animal welfare inspectors tasked with overseeing the care of 60 million animals, he said.

There was a need for more regulations on meat chickens, he said, which were farmed in far greater numbers than layer hens. ‘‘They’re slaughtered at four to six weeks of age and they can’t even walk about their shed.’’

Poultry Industry Association chief executive Michael Brooks said most meat chickens spent their whole lives indoors.

But while in the barns, they were free to move around, were dust-bathing and had access to food and water. New Zealand flocks had very low levels of disease, he said.

‘‘Do you believe that’s a fundamental welfare right, for birds to go outside?’’

Provided the regulations were based on sound welfare science, the industry would welcome them. World Animal Protection rated New Zealand in the top four countries in the world for animal welfare, he said.

‘‘We’re seeing systemic animal abuses across the agricultural sector.’’ Gareth Hughes, Green MP