farm

Eyes on Animals visited the biological pig farm De Jofrahoeve in Brabant. This enterprise has 160 sows used for breeding and 1200 pigs raised for their meat. We were given an extensive tour and got a good impression of the differences between biological and intensively run pig farms. The essential difference is that all the pigs, including the ones raised for their meat … [Read more...] about Visit to an organic Pig Farm

Rondeel is an egg- farm in Barneveld with 30,000 hens. The managers have tried to provide an environment that, as much as possible, permits the hens to express their natural behaviours such as foraging, dust-bathing, nest-building and perching. The hen's beaks are not trimmed and they have free access to the outdoors and the warm indoors. The farm is in the shape of a … [Read more...] about Inspection of Rondeel egg farm in Barneveld

Photo: Jack Tummers (www.jacktummers.nl) Since 2006 over 1 million animals in the Netherlands have fallen victim to barn fires (exact number is 1,142,083). Barns fall under the same jurisdiction as "light industry" and thus are not equiped with sprinkler systems nor have to follow strict regulations regarding type of building material used or safe housing of electric … [Read more...] about Fire codes for animal farms same as for warehouses storing toilet-paper

Eyes on Animals visited an organic pig farm where pigs, including mother sows and their young, are housed in large outdoor shacks and given plenty of access to the outdoors to perform much desired natural behaviours, such as rooting, mud bathing, sunbathing, and nest building. The farmer was a lovely Dutch man who had seen this sytem while working in England and found the … [Read more...] about Visit of an organical pig farm in the Netherlands

Eyes on Animals volunteer conducted a follow-up visit to the donkeys we inspected on February 9th. Despite the owner telling us back then that they would make a couple small improvements (removing the dividers between each pen, allowing the donkeys to better socialize and have more room), nothing had changed. All three donkeys were in the same housing environment as last … [Read more...] about Follow-up inspection of three donkeys kept in undesirable living conditions

Eyes on Animals investigated into why there are so many piglets that die every year. We spoke to the rendering company about the extremely high figures. There are several explanations- stress (of the piglet but also of the confined nursing sows), bacterial infections from unhygenic conditions, and not enough nipples to provide for each piglet. Due to genetic selection … [Read more...] about Investigation into why so many piglets die every year

On our way to an investigation we came across a small flock of sheep in a field, with several new-born lambs of just a few days of age. The farmer greeted us and spoke about his sheep with admiration. They had an indoor area and a large outdoor field. One could tell that the animals were well-treated because they did not show any fright towards the farmer, if anything they … [Read more...] about Checking on new- born lambs in the Netherlands

There is a big debate whether hens on free-range farms are really better off than hens in cages. Many people within the egg industry, and even a few scientists, claim that hens in cages are better because they are protected from predators, from disease, from collecting mud balls on their feet and eventually not being able to walk anymore and from attacks by others in a … [Read more...] about Inspection of the welfare of hens at a free-range farm in Belgium

Eyes on Animals visited a deHoeve pig farm in The Netherlands. DeHoeve pig farms have extra requirements regarding animal welfare and environmental protection. Male pigs are not allowed to be castrated, and sows are kept in group housing during most of the gestation period and given straw. The pigs raised for "fattening" are also given slightly more room and a minimum … [Read more...] about Inspection of a pig farm in NL

Eyes on Animals received an anonymous concern about the housing conditions of several donkeys not far from Amsterdam. Together with the complaint were several photos showing a barren and small housing facility for 3 donkeys. Upon arriving we observed the donkeys and the approximate 10m2 of space each one had. Part of their housing was indoor and part was outdoor, but on … [Read more...] about Response to a concern about 3 donkeys in NL