Today was very hot outside and thus a team from Eyes on Animals made an unannounced visit to Vion slaughterhouse in Boxtel to check if the slaughterhouse was well prepared to protect pigs from heat stress. The outside temperature is 27 - 28 degrees and there are no clouds. We saw that Vion employees were spraying the asphalt under the waiting pig trucks to keep the asphalt … [Read more...] about Checking arrival of pigs at Vion Boxtel in summer heat, NL
live animal transports
Visit to livestock-export center Busser (NL)
Today we inspected the collecting center Busser in Bennekom. We were pleased that, despite us showing up unannounced, the manager still welcomed us and gave us a small tour. During our visit there was not a lot of activity. There were a few pigs and piglets destined for transport to slaughter. In the pens there was some sawdust to prevent slipping and to keep the pigs … [Read more...] about Visit to livestock-export center Busser (NL)
Slaughterhouse Weidemark (Germany) makes changes to reduce heat stress
Eyes on Animals visited this pig slaughterhouse in the summer of 2016 (many Dutch pigs are slaughtered here) and noticed that many animals had to wait on board trucks, in the sun, for hours before being unloaded. We spoke with the director and insisted immediate measures be taken to reduce some of the heat stress risks. The first thing they should do is order industrial … [Read more...] about Slaughterhouse Weidemark (Germany) makes changes to reduce heat stress
Rondeel chickens first to be caught and loaded in a more friendly manner
Chickens will no longer be grabbed by their legs, hung upside down and stuffed into transport crates 4 to 5 at a time when they leave the farm to go to the slaughterhouse. Eyes on Animals has introduced the 'EonA Dutch catching method' to the Dutch poultry industry. Dutch poultry and egg farm "Rondeel" is the first to switch over. Organic, free range, barn and caged … [Read more...] about Rondeel chickens first to be caught and loaded in a more friendly manner
Minks from Holland transported in horrible conditions
Recently we were in Poland conducting inspections of animal trucks. We stopped a horrible transport truck originating from a breeding farm in The Netherlands (owner: van Ansem) with hundreds of mink on board in tiny dirty wire cages. They were heading to fur farms in Poland. The animals were completely stressed. They were trying to break free of their cages, performing … [Read more...] about Minks from Holland transported in horrible conditions