Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
After 20 years of campaigning for battery hens using legal means, New Zealand activists have felt a growing frustration at the lack of Government response despite the huge public outcry against battery cages.
Following the Minister of Agriculture Jim Anderton’s recent rejection of Parliament’s Regulations Review Committee’s decision that battery cages where in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, the NZ Open Rescue collective was formed to highlight what our government chooses to ignore.
New Zealand Open Rescue is a collective of animal rights activists from cities all over the country. In the face of laws that fail the welfare of animals, activists from New Zealand Open Rescue have decided to take the welfare of the animals into their own hands.
“Our Government sides with industry and chooses to ignore the voice of the public about the plight of animals exploited in factory farms. We’ve given them petitions, we’ve protested, we’ve presented submissions on welfare laws. None of this has changed the fact that hens are still suffering in tiny cages. It's come down to ordinary people like ourselves to go into these farms and remove animals from cruel conditions and to draw as much attention as we can to their situation. We’re totally willing to break the law as the law does nothing to protect the animals, but simply protects the industries that abuse them,” says Deirdre Sims, a member of the Open Rescue collective.
The morning of Sunday 5th of November 2006 saw the dawn of New Zealand Open Rescue. Activists from the collective entered Turk’s Poultry Farm on Purcell Street in Foxton, rescued 20 hens from cages and documented the conditions found. Open Rescue activists, wearing bio-masks and suits, found many dead hens still inside cages which live hens were forced to sit and stand on. The building was thick with dust, fumes and spider webs. The owner of the farm, Ron Turk, was recently fined $34,000 for dumping feathers and 16 tonnes of chicken guts onto a nearby farm. Ron Turk is a member of the Independent Egg Producer’s Co-op.
"Obviously we can't save all the hens but we're going to save as many as we can and use Open Rescues to put pressure on the Government and on the industry. We're going to use direct action, civil disobedience and cause as much disruption as we can. The Government's lack of action on battery farming leaves us with no choice " says Open Rescue activist Mark Eden.
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Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
For immediate release: Monday 6 November 2006
Activists break into Foxton factory farm, taking twenty battery hens.
Animal rights activists have broken into a Foxton battery hen farm taking twenty hens early on Sunday morning. The activists say they openly broke the law because they are fed up with the government’s lack of action on animal rights. Activists from all over the country took part in the raid which they say is the first of many “open rescues” in which activists will admit responsibility for illegally entering farms to rescue animals. Spokesperson for the group, Mark Eden, said the government has left no other option but to break the law.
“Battery cages were recently found to be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act by a parliamentary committee, but Jim Anderton the Minister of Agriculture has chosen to ignore this decision for fear of upsetting the factory farming industry. This has meant that activists have been left with no choice but to take the law into their own hands”
“Everyone agrees that battery cages are cruel and should be banned. Jim Anderton has chosen to side with the egg industry instead of doing the right thing. If the Government is prepared to ignore public opinion and the democratic process then we are prepared to break the law to get the hens out of the cages.”
Another activist, Deirdre Sims, agreed “The government has proven time and time again that they will do nothing to help battery hens so it’s up to ordinary people like us to draw attention to the suffering of these animals. How can we respect the law if the law doesn’t respect animals” she said.
The activists said more raids were being planned and arrests would not deter them. “I hope they do arrest me because I would love to get the farmer into a courtroom to explain why he thinks factory farmers should be exempt from the animal welfare act.” said Mr Eden.
(Turks Poultry farm in Foxton is owned by Ron Turk, a committee member of the NZ Egg Producers Federation. Turks was recently fined $34, 000 for dumping feathers and 16 tonnes of chicken guts onto a nearby farm).
For more information and more (high quality) photos of the break in contact us:
Mark Eden 021 073 8114 or Deirdre Sims 021 265 9703
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Great work! Here's hoping this is only the start and that there's plenty more to come.
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
I hope they continue by liberating people from the factory farms that call themselves: Caltex, ANZ, Contact Energy, Dunlop, Fairfax, Farmers, Progressive, Telecom, Meridian, KFC, Sealord, SAFE, McDonalds, The Mad Butcher, Shell, Telstraclear, Noel Leamings, Godfrey Hurst, OPSM, Westpac, etc.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Now this is what I call a NEW DAWN! It is very impressive and incredibly important what New Zealand Open Rescue is now doing to help the battery hens. Bravo to all involved for bringing a ray of light and hope into their darkness. With you in solidarity always, patty
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
What about rescuring the animals been held in prison at the Auckland zoo?
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
I agree, factory farms, zoos, widelife and marine parks sux because animals are been exploited for profit!
Biodiesel is awful, too, because an animal fat tallow, a by-product from the meat industry, is a potential source of the biodiesel. For more information on it go to: http://www.metroinfo.org.nz/bio_whatis.html. What do the animal rights activists plan to do about this? I have not heard anything from Safe about this and it is happening in the same city where they have their head office.
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
I don't think Safe will do anything about biofuel. It would be a bad business decision for them to speak out against it as most people see biofuel as a good thing. If they did they risk a bad back-lash and a drop in their income from donations and subscriptions. I think that's why they have kept quiet about this and other things.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Awesome job!!!!!! These activists are heroes fighting against the most disgusting acts of animal cruelty. Let's keep it coming...
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Awesome guys...hope to see more open stuff like this. Bring it on!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
This action is hopefully the future of rescue stuff in NZ. Its great to see people doing stuff cos stuff is fucked and not giving a fuck about the personal consequences. Big ups peeps!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Great work guys, looking forward to the next action. don't worry about those pecky coppers
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
long may your good work continue......I'd love to see Turkey out of business. Bravo to you all
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
I don't see what the fuss is about as only 20 hens were rescued! What about the rest. The ALF activists come across as rather slack to me.
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
But it still helps
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
It's not an ALF rescue as you can clearly see, it's an OPEN RESCUE.
Get your facts straight.
For the 20 hens, their rescue means the world.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
how much do u think it would cost to raise free range chickens?? where do u think it could be done, how about a photo of the 20 birds today, i'd like to see if they still alive,
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Well done! I am so proud of what people can do and i just want to do what you guys are doing. Thankyou sooo much it means alot!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
I loved the article on your on Sunday.
I think NZ sucks as they didnt want Mann to come to NZ - we sound like a load of scaredy cats, like we are hiding something.
Guess we are really, when we have companies who breed battery hens, who also breed "free range" hens and eggs too - its all about the bucks, not the ethics.
If anyone wants to read a good book on Animal Ethics and rights, its called "Speciesism" - you can get it at any Uni Bookshop. Great read! Gives you energy to fight! its my first day volunteering at the SPCA tomorrow - its the start to my new life as a fighter and not a spectator. and by the way, the person who wrote about "only 20 hens rescued, what about the rest"! what have they done to help? Its a very hard task to rescue caged birds who have no muscle mass any more! it would have involved months of planning, and they are volunteers remember!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
is there a group in chch i can contact ?? / phil27@clear.net.nz
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
absolutely brilliantwell done and where can I join?
If our elected leaders are so corrupted by money pressures,what hope is there for the greater moral climate...
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Hey does anyone now where i can find stats on the cost of battry hens compared to free range. I need it for some research im doing for school
Thanks
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Hey does anyone know where i can find stats on the cost of battry hens compared to free range. I need it for some research i'm doing for school
Thanks
My emails py-dog@hotmail.com
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Wow, this is really great. I'm proud of those people for rescuing 20 hens. When I was twelve, I snuck into a chicken barn and rescued some chickens who lived a happy life at my farm yard.
Hopefully these efforts will be noticed and more action will be take against against this sick and cruel practice.
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Well you actually did that. its great to have people like that in this world!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Wow, this is really great. I'm proud of those people for rescuing 20 hens. When I was twelve, I snuck into a chicken barn and rescued some chickens who lived a happy life at my farm yard.
Hopefully these efforts will be noticed and more action will be take against this sick and cruel practice.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Its sooooo Sad to know that hens & Chickens are kept in cages all their life and when they have finshed laying as many eggs as they can they will be killed. Also the farmers are evil people
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Its sooooo Sad to know that hens & Chickens are kept in cages all their life and when they have finshed laying as many eggs as they can they will be killed. Also the farmers are evil people
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
Well done, if more people knew what really went on with battery farming then we would see change, already changes are happening with many more people buying organic or at least free range eggs, next they will be consious its also about the chickne meat they eat.
complain
people what up with use. i mean cant you see wahts going on. you are destroying these beautiful creatures. why dont use wake up and do something about it because its killing other us people that care about animals. please let them be free. idiots!!!
Re: complain
excuse me why dont you wake up because this people are doing something great for our government start by rescuing these creatures. maybe you cant really read whats this sides about. its about rescuing battery hens. idiots!!!
sorry
oh! sorry yeah! your right i wasnt reading the article first before i jump to the conclusion but yeah! they are doing something really good for our country. thanks anyway for these people doing this really amazing job. but i want to tell you something im not an idiot just because you are 1 of them lol
Re: complain
excuse me why dont you wake up because this people are doing something great for our government start by rescuing these creatures. maybe you cant really read whats this sides about. its about rescuing battery hens. idiots!!!
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
sup! guys use are awesome i mean we finally have some people to care about our poor creatures on this earth!! keep up the good wotk guys use are the bomb
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
well done well done well done and keep up the brilliant work
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
it is absurd that Mark is going to be charged for gathering evidence of animal cruelty. Under existing law, only members of the public can complain about abuses of the animal welfare act, but it is illegal for members of the public to enter privately owned egg "farms".
I encourage all you activists to contact mainstream journalists frequently about thee issues - develop relationships. I am all for independent media, but sadly, a lot of these issues do not reach ordinary members of the public, who only read the Dominion Post, etc etc. It is very important that these issues and absurdities of the system are reported on and brought to light as often as possible.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
we should worship you as our gods. i salute you.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
The battery hens in the winter, atleast they are nice and warm and dry. The free range hens, when they go outside, you would have to supply them all with gumboots in these wet conditions.
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
your so dum what about in summer, roasting and basically geting tortured
Re: Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
your so dum what about in summer, roasting and basically geting tortured
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
hi my name is megan i think that all batter hen farms should be banned
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
wankers
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
biggest employer in town.
Re: Open rescue of 20 battery hens in Foxton
this is such a good thing.