• 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
    • Our Vision
    • Contact
  • News
    • Latest news
    • Good news
    • Bad news
    • Featured 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
  • Help us
Home » Our inspections » farm » Announced visit of a standard pig farm in Brabant,Holland

Announced visit of a standard pig farm in Brabant,Holland

April 1, 2011

Today inspectors from Eyes on Animals visited a standard (factory) pig farm in Brabant. There were 310 breeding sows and 2400 ‘slaughter´ pigs. After 5 farrowings, the breeding sows are culled and sent for slaughter as well. One week before farrowing the sows are placed into farrowing crates, where they remain until 4 weeks after giving birth. The piglets are then removed from their mom, and the sow is moved to another area of the farm where they spend 2 more weeks in individual crates (called gestation crates) to be inseminated. Once insemination is successful, the sow is placed in a group-stall system where she is kept for the remaining 9 weeks of her gestation. Here she is given some room to move around and can intereact with other sows. All in all, it means that the life cycle of a breeding sow on a typical Dutch factory farm consists of 7 weeks in a crate where she cannot move or turn around, and 9 weeks in a group stall where she can. She is indoors throughout her life.

 

factory_pig_farm

As of 2013, gestation crates will be banned resulting in sows being placed in group housing directly after the weaning process, and giving them 2 weeks longer in an environment with more freedom to move and socialize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

factory_pig_farm1

This is an example of a farrowing crate, where the sowspends 5 weeks at a time. One week prior to giving birth, and four weeks with her piglets nursing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

factory_pig_farm2

These are gestation crates, where sows are kept after their piglets are weaned from them. The sows are placed in these crates in order to be inseminated. In 2013 gestation crates will be banned in the EUas they restrict all natural movement and behaviour of the sow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 factory_pig_farm4

This is the group-housing pen for pregnant sows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days after being born, the piglets are placed in CO2 to be rendered unconscious and have their tails docked, be vaccinated, get ear tags and, for the males, be castrated. The piglets are separated from their mother at 28 days of age. They then go to a group-housing stall where they spend the rest of their lives (another 5 months). On this farm there were (clean) windows allowing natural light to come in. The pigs are slaughtered when they are approximately 6 months of age. The ´slaughter´ pigs on this farm are all sent to VION slaughterhouses in the Netherlands, meaning that they are never transported on long-distance journeys.

 

factory_pig_farm_5

This is the group housing stall for the ´slaughter´ pigs where they spend 5 months of their lives being fattened before slaughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During our visit we observed one laming pig that was in a poor condition. He was being bullied by the others, who were biting and pushing him. We suggested to the farmer to separate him, so that he could at least wait in peace for the veterinarian to come and euthanize him, which was planned for in the next few days. Unfortunately there was no possibility as every space was already in use. We suggested that several sick pens be built on the farm to give individuals in a bad condition some protection.

We would like to thank Jan for allowing us to visit his farm. He is a very busy and warm-hearted man, but we hope that he will continue researching into more ways of respecting the natural behavioural needs of these very intelligent animals so that their welfare can be increased.

 

  • share 
  • share 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: farm

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured

As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Eyes on Animals is observing a troubling trend: transport distances for culled cows and sows are … [Read More...] about As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Featured

Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

May 8, 2025

Once again, serious violations have been uncovered in the transport of calves from Ireland. Last … [Read More...] about Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

It’s not every day that an animal-welfare organization takes on the challenge of redesigning a large pig slaughterhouse and their animal handling techniques, but that’s exactly what we did in 2020.

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
16 Jun

🩷🐷
De ballenjongens van boer Kees ;-)
#varkens #dierwaardig @KeesScheep

Reply on Twitter 1934604881123565929 Retweet on Twitter 1934604881123565929 1 Like on Twitter 1934604881123565929 6 Twitter 1934604881123565929
eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
16 Jun

Aanrader, dit artikel!
- Grazend gebraad – De Groene Amsterdammer

Reply on Twitter 1934508486462689780 Retweet on Twitter 1934508486462689780 Like on Twitter 1934508486462689780 2 Twitter 1934508486462689780
apollo_93742460 Apollo 🇺🇦  @apollo_93742460 ·
13 Jun

Oceaanverdrag mist nog tien goedkeuringen, ook die van Nederland ontbreekt

Dat kun je onderhand ook geen verrassing meer noemen.

via @NOS

Reply on Twitter 1933629170044608568 Retweet on Twitter 1933629170044608568 2 Like on Twitter 1933629170044608568 5 Twitter 1933629170044608568
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 © 2025 · Eyes on Animals | Website by Webkompaan