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Story: Poultry industry

Caged hens

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Caged hens

More than 83 million eggs are produced annually by hens kept in battery cages. There is debate as to whether such an intensive production system is humane.

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Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand

Permission of the Egg Producer's Federation of New Zealand must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Vanessa Wintle and Stacey Lepper, Poultry industry – Egg farming and production, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17299/caged-hens (accessed 21 June 2026).

Story by Vanessa Wintle and Stacey Lepper, published 1 March 2009.