Today Eyes on Animals and the Animal Welfare Foundation met with EU Sanco and FVO to share our latest observations and concerns at the Bulgarian/Turkey border. There are still long waiting times, inadequate facilities to unload the large numbers of animals passing through in need of rest, water and feed, companies faking their real travel times and no shade for the … [Read more...] about Meeting with FVO and EU Sanco about on-going animal transport problems at EU/TK border
Our inspections
visit of a chicken slaughterhouse
Today we were welcomed to visit a chicken slaughterhouse in the Netherlands. It is a slaughterhouse that only slaughters broilers (chickens bred for meat-production). When we arrived, some of the broilers in the drawer containers were stored in a dark lairage with electronic fans, the birds appeared calm. CO2 gas is used to stun the chickens. Chickens are stunned in … [Read more...] about visit of a chicken slaughterhouse
Visit of a slaughterhouse for “spent” laying hens
The manager of this plant was open to our unnanounced visit and gave us a short tour inside his plant on the spot. We were however not allowed to take photos.Roughly 70,000 "spent" hens are slaughtered and processed in this plant every day. Six trucks loaded with plastic poultry-crates were in the parking lots. The crates were stacked stably but … [Read more...] about Visit of a slaughterhouse for “spent” laying hens
Visit of factory Coevorden for poultry crates
This afternoon we visited a company in Coevorden (NL) that makes plastic products including the “diamond”-shape poultry crates for a great number of slaughterhouses and transport companies. The main objective of our visit was to discuss the design of the poultry crates regarding safety, accessibility, hygiene and possible alternatives with access doors on the side. They … [Read more...] about Visit of factory Coevorden for poultry crates
Visit of Vlastuin pig export station in Lunteren
This morning we dropped by the pig export station in Lunteren, called Vlastuin. Here pigs from different Dutch farms are collected and then several hours later, or even a couple of days later, reloaded and sent for export to countries such as Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania. We had received numerous complaints from Dutch and German drivers that often 220 “slaughter” … [Read more...] about Visit of Vlastuin pig export station in Lunteren