KEY POINTS:
Police have searched the Wellington home of an animal rights activist who admits raiding a Foxton hen farm in protest against battery farming.
Mark Eden was one of about 10 activists who broke into Turk's Poultry Farm in Foxton on November 5, taking 20 hens in a bid to draw attention to what they say is the cruelty of battery farming.
Ron Turk, of Turk's Poultry Farm, pledged to take the matter to police and said his operation was not cruel, and the birds lived longer and healthier than they would on free range farms.
Mr Eden openly invited police action, saying it could only bring more attention to the plight of the hens.
He today told NZPA his home and office had been raided on Thursday (December 7) by about six Wellington police.
"They took everything -- a video camera, office and home computer, which included things like media lists on it."
The activists had photographed themselves in the hen house and released photographs to the media.
Mr Eden said the police told him they were looking for items visible in the photographs -- overalls, dustmasks and a torch, as well as the digital cameras used.
They also wanted contact details of other animal rights activists.
"They said they're going to send those to the Foxton police who will make a decision on charging me next week."
Foxton police told NZPA they had referred the case to Palmerston North, which in turn had asked Wellington police to investigate.
Mr Eden said the search warrant listed the charges under consideration as burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, which related to Mr Eden's pledge that there would be more hen house raids carried out throughout the country over summer.
"I've already confessed multiple times in the media so I'm not sure why they needed to search my house to get more evidence."
He felt it was a waste of police time, spending a day at his house.
"They've obviously got no crimes that need to be investigated that week."
None of the 20 hens taken from Turk's were being kept at Mr Eden's home but he said they were all safe at other houses.
"They're all doing well."
He had not heard from Mr Turk.
"Mr Turk hasn't ever approached me and I can kind of see why he wouldn't really because we have nothing in common.
"Obviously he does what he does to make the maximum amount of money so he's not interested in ethics or talking about animal welfare or anything like that."
At the time of the raid, Mr Turk told NZPA the 20 hens taken would be worth about $200 and he would press charges against Mr Eden.
"If I went in and pinched his TV set, he'd be pretty annoyed too, wouldn't he? It's no different, just because they have a funny attitude to life.
"I've got very little time for these activists because they're fanatics.
"They don't really care about the welfare of the animal, they're probably vegans."
The farm had about 100,000 hens laying and Mr Turk denied caged hen farming was cruel.
"We can prove things like our death rate in battery hens, or caged hens...our death rate will be probably quarter of a free range farm.
"Working with the chooks in cages is far more healthy for the people."
He also said caged hens did not require de-beaking, as free range did.
"Our birds live longer, live better, healthier, not so many die."
- NZPA
