On Monday the RNZSPCA and SAFE announced they were joining forces to tackle the Government over the plan to use colony cages instead of battery cages for layer hens.

And the Green Party also joined the two leading animal welfare advocacy organisations in calling on the Minister of Agriculture to prevent the use of the cages.

The Greens say that in August they produced documents showing that MAF had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars assisting the egg industry to move from one cruel cage system to another, instead of shifting to free-range, or barn systems.

SAFE and the RNZSPCA say a move to colony cages will guarantee the continued suffering of millions of caged hens.

RNZSPCA National Chief Executive Robyn Kippenberger says in the end, a cage is a cage is a cage.