Farm protest reaches 10,000

The Stop Craddock Farms group outside Yovich & Co in May. From left, Billy Leonard, Ian Duffield and Amie Wolken, explain their message to Robin Hoare. Photo / John Stone

A petition asking Whangarei businessmen "not to invest in more cruelty" has hit the 10,000 signature mark, following protests by giant chickens in the CBD.

But an egg industry spokesman says farming practices in New Zealand were among the best in the world, with caged hens necessary to keep eggs affordable for everyone. The Stop Craddock Farms group targeted the Rathbone St offices of Yovich Hayward Pevats Johnston Chartered Accountants and Yovich & Co Wealth Management four times in the past year, with some protesters donning chicken costumes.

Two businessmen at the companies, Walter Yovich and Mark Pevats, are also directors of Craddock Farms Limited - a company fighting in the Environment Court to build a farm that would cage 300,000 hens in Patumahoe, about 50 kilometres south of Auckland. Craddock Farms' third director, Richard Johns, is also from Whangarei.

The directors said they were not in a position to comment, pending the result of an Environment Court appeal hearing on November 26. Auckland Council had declined the resource consent to build the farm earlier this year, citing odour and a negative effect on the Patumahoe community.

Shawn Bishop from The Animal Sanctuary at Matakana said while traditional battery cages had been banned and must be phased out by 2022, the 60-bird colony cages that would be used at the Patumahoe farm were "just as cruel".

"The colony cage is a battery cage with lipstick," she said.

"The hens have only laid for one season and are 18 months old when they're killed. [It's] because they don't want to feed them for 4 to 6 weeks while they're not getting an egg a day. These are animals that should live 8 to 9 years."

Stop Craddock Farms founder Deirdre Sims said her group was looking towards a total ban on factory farming.

However, Poultry Industry Association executive director Michael Brooks said New Zealand was "one of the four best countries in the world" for animal welfare. He said colony cages, barn and free range were all "good systems".

"If New Zealand went to free range only, NZ would be the only country in the world with free range and this would have an impact on price, removing a healthy food option for lower socio-economic groups."