• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • EYES ON ANIMALS – Watching out for their Welfare
  • English
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch

Eyes on Animals

Watching out for their Welfare

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
DONATE
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Key Figures
    • Contact
  • News
    • Latest news
    • Good news
    • Bad news
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Inspections
    • Farms
    • Markets
    • Transports
    • Slaughterhouses
    • Special projects
    • Other
  • Training
    • Police
    • Truck drivers
    • Poultry-catchers
    • Slaughter personnel
    • Training Material
    • Request a training
  • Industry Tips
    • Animal transport
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
    • Slaughterhouses
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
      • Ritual slaughter
    • Educational videos
  • Publications
    • In the media
      • Print
      • Television
      • Radio
      • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Special reports
    • Training Material
    • Annual reviews
  • Future Vision
  • Help us
Home » Our inspections » market » Inspection of livestock market Ciney (Belgium)

Inspection of livestock market Ciney (Belgium)

August 24, 2012

24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_te_kort_aangebonden2  The livestock market in Ciney in Belgium, one of the largest livestock markets in Europe, was visited by Eyes on Animals inspectors. Around 2400 cattle and calves and a small number of horses, ponies and donkeys were present this day. The market made a much better impression than during an Eyes on Animals visit two years ago. Back then we observed animals in very poor condition. Now the animals appeared healthy. There were mostly Belgian Blue. There were also many cows of French breeds, that are easier to handle and healthier than the Holsteiner breed we mostly see in The Netherlands. But also the few present Holstein cows seemed rather healthy.

24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_1

 24.08.2012_BE_Ciney-verstrikte_dieren1


Even though our visit was unannounced, the reaction to our presence was relaxed. The market director asked one of the three veterinarians to talk to us and guide us round the market. Both he and the announcer/translator and the market director were very willing to answer our questions afterwards. The atmosphere at the market was calm. There was however an incident. A cattle-dealer reacted quite aggressive. He approached us after receiving questions from fellow-cattle-dealers about our presence.

24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_stok

Most animals were taken to the loading bays the evening before the market. There was enough water and a little bit of hay. Unfortunately at the market itself there was no water and also no straw or bedding. The explanation for this was that it would be too much hassle to clean the floor.

Despite the slip-resistant surface the floor was slippery. Some cows slipped away a little and a calf that was pulled by a child with too much force almost slipped. The boy was obviously too young to do this. Because of summer holidays lots of children were present. Most children only walked around at the market, buts some also helped with handling the animals. Some animals were not able to lie down because they were tied on too short. And some cows got their ropes tangled up in each other because they were tied on too close to one another.

We were impressed by a system that is used for controlling the identification, registration and monitoring of animals. All animals are scanned and if there have been problems with an animal at the farm, this is registered. The veterinarian can then retrieve detailed information from the system and then take action whenever an animal isn’t healthy. Not only is the animals refused, the veterinarian in question and authorities are informed.

What we noticed negatively in particular was the unnecessary hitting of cattle with sticks on animals were not aggressive and already moving forward. Many times they weren’t hit hard, but sometimes it did appear to be rather hard-handed. We also noticed a cow being kicked in the side to wake her up and a tail being twisted.

We are happy that this cattle-market, despite previous experiences and bad press, generally made a reasonably good impression. We are asking the market manager that in the near future the floor be covered with bedding, the hitting with sticks be less hard-handed and kicking and tail-twisting never tolerated, which is contrary to EU legislation. We also will request that all animals be tied on by longer ropes so that they can lie down and the risk of animals getting tangled up in each other be prevented.

We thank the people of this cattle-market for their hospitality and openness about the way things work at the market.

24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_Lydia  24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_stok  24.08.2012_BE_Ciney_veemakrt  

  • share 
  • tweet 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: market

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured

Fine for VION pig-slaughterhouse in Boxtel due to long waiting times in summer heat

An enforcement request by Eyes on Animals resulted in a fine for VION pig slaughterhouse in Boxtel … [Read More...] about Fine for VION pig-slaughterhouse in Boxtel due to long waiting times in summer heat

Featured

Upright chicken catching project on German and French TV

ZDF and Arte recently televised EonA’s project to reduce stress, pain and injuries by catching hens … [Read More...] about Upright chicken catching project on German and French TV

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

I first discovered the bad side of factory-farming and industrial slaughter when I was a young girl of twelve.
When I visited a livestock market I saw a pile of sick animals left for dead behind the building. At a huge industrial poultry slaughterhouse, I saw dozens of live chickens walking around the bloody floor…

 

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

joswabe Dr Jo Swabe 💙💛 @joswabe ·
32m

Completely insane. Dutch government to raise VAT on #plantbased milk, but not cow's #milk or chocolate milk. 🤦‍♀️

They're treating these sustainable plant-based products like soft drinks, irrespective of whether they contain sugar or not. https://nos.nl/l/2469528

Reply on Twitter 1641503059158130693 Retweet on Twitter 1641503059158130693 3 Like on Twitter 1641503059158130693 3 Twitter 1641503059158130693
eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
43m

👎😳 Een schandalig voornemen.
Midden in een klimaatcrisis en dan zo’n besluit.
We zijn verbijsterd. #belasting

Reply on Twitter 1641500270860328976 Retweet on Twitter 1641500270860328976 6 Like on Twitter 1641500270860328976 10 Twitter 1641500270860328976
dierenrecht Dier&Recht @dierenrecht ·
6h

Nee. Gewoon nee. Geen piepjonge kalfjes op het vliegtuig zetten.
Voormalig @minlnv @ministerlnv Schouten vond dit in 2021 al een slecht plan vanwege #dierenwelzijn en #klimaatcrisis @VanDrieGroup @paligroup https://www.trouw.nl/ts-be0a3f1f via @trouw

Reply on Twitter 1641420406312558595 Retweet on Twitter 1641420406312558595 16 Like on Twitter 1641420406312558595 38 Twitter 1641420406312558595
Load More...

ANBI

Footer

Donate with Paypal

Paypal Eyes on Animals
One-time donation:
Monthly donation:

Reading Material

  • In the Media
  • Newsletters
  • Special EonA reports
  • Legislative texts
  • ANBI

Our Amsterdam Office

Amsterdam House Hotel
Eyes on Animals main office is in downtown Amsterdam, at the Amsterdam House Hotel. The generous and warm-hearted hotel owner donated to Eyes on Animals, free of charge, a beautiful room where our inspectors can work, hold meetings and store their material.

Copyright © 2023 · Eyes on Animals | Website by Webkompaan