slaughterhouses

Today a team from Eyes on Animals visited the Vion pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo, that slaughters pigs, sows and breeding boars raised on conventional farms, but also those raised under organic and free-range conditions from the label "Groene Weg". We viewed the unloading of the pigs, the lairaging, the suspect pens, the handling and moving, and finally the stunning and … [Read more...] about Visit of Vion pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo, NL

Today we visited Westfort pig slaughterhouse. We were there for several reasons, one of which is because they want us to help promote a new label that aims to better respect the welfare of pigs and the environment. This is an on-going discussion which we will report on at a later date once we know more. But we want to report on some improvements inside their … [Read more...] about Visit to Westfort pig slaughterhouse, NL

   Eyes on Animals inspectors paid a visit to Euro Meat Group, a slaughterhouse that slaughters horses and cattle, on account of a transport inspection. Earlier this year, an unfit dairy cow that could not stand or walk without pain (a so-called downer) was transported to a slaughterhouse, despite the fact that this is forbidden by law and causes pain. Eyes on … [Read more...] about Visit to slaughterhouse Euro Meat Group in Belgium

We paid an unexpected visit to the slaughterhouse Wilki in Belgium, which specializes in the slaughter of spent laying hens. The director welcomed us to his company. Eyes on Animals inspectors have inspected a dozen of chicken trucks owned by this slaughterhouse over the last year and made a report about their observations. They observed hens being transported in old and … [Read more...] about Visit to Wilki, chicken slaughterhouse in Belgium

  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

  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

An Eyes on Animals team was returning to The Netherlands after giving a course to police officers in Belgium on the requirements of the animal protection during transport legislation. The team received a message concerning pig farmers setting up blockades at a number of pig slaughterhouses across the Netherlands, resulting in many trucks loaded with pigs forced to wait in … [Read more...] about Eyes on Animals witnesses pig farmers’ blockades of slaughterhouses

Today we inspected Compaxo, a Dutch pig slaughterhouse, killing 600 pigs per hour. We watched the unloading of several pig trucks and the handling of the animals before and during slaughter. This plant uses electricity to stun the animals, instead of the now common but highly-debated method of CO2 gas. We were told that they were under pressure to switch to CO2 because … [Read more...] about Inspection of a Compaxo pig slaughterhouse in the Netherlands

Eyes on Animals visited a slaughterhouse today that performs ritual slaughter. Eyes on Animals is principally against slaughtering animals without prior-stunning, but does give credit to the owner who has designed his plant and trained his employees so that there is less stress. In comparison to other ritual plants we have visited, it was indeed much better. Should ritual … [Read more...] about Ongoing investigation into animal treatment at slaughterhouses