slaughterhouses

Eyes on Animals dropped by Van den Pesch Slachthuis, a small slaughterhouse in Brabant that is known to take culled-dairy cows. In the waiting pens we observed a number of cows in questionable shape, particularly one that was crippled with swollen joints on both her hind legs and one of her front legs. The slaughterhouse owner explained that they came from only 20-30km … [Read more...] about Inspection of culled-dairy cattle awaiting slaughter at a small Dutch slaughterhouse

It has been an on-going discussion: meat quality is in direct conflict with animal welfare when poultry are stunned with electricity. When the amper and voltage are set high enough to guarantee that the birds lose consciousness before being slaughtered, their "carcasses" lose value due to the many blood spots caused by the shock. Therefore, most birds are purposely not … [Read more...] about Tour of a Belgian chicken slaughterhouse that uses gas instead of electricity to stun the birds

VION is one of the world's biggest producers of pig meat and has many slaughterhouses. Its main office in in the Netherlands as it is a Dutch-owned company. Eyes on Animals met with them to find out why they are not participating yet in the project of totally phasing out pig castration in the Netherlands. They explained that they would also like to stop castration but that … [Read more...] about Meeting with VION

Eyes on Animals made an unannounced visit to Dik Slachthuis, a slaughterhouse in Holland that specializes in the killing of young calves, adult cattle and sheep. The plant made a good impression as the workers were calm with the animals and the plant also insisted that the animals be stunned first (even though most of the meat was going for halal but they felt that … [Read more...] about Welfare concern at a slaughterhouse in northern Holland

Eyes on Animals observed the handling and slaughtering of pigs at Slachterij Boom in Erp, a medium-sized pig slaughterhouse in southern Holland. This is the first slaughterhouse where, during our unannounced visit, we did not observe any sick or injured pigs, or rough handling. However, the kill floor was full of blood as they hang and cut the stunned pigs directly above, … [Read more...] about Visit of a Dutch pig slaughterhouse

Eyes on Animals inspected Thomassen Slachthuis in Someren, a medium-sized Dutch slaughterhouse which slaughters cattle and pigs. Upon arriving, cattle from Belgium were being unloaded. They were all fit for transport. As in all slaughterhouses we have visited so far, there was again a pen devoted to placing sick animals. Inside was a lone pig, paralyzed from her waist … [Read more...] about Inspection of a Dutch slaughterhouse

Eyes on Animals inspected the small pig slaughterhouse Van Kemenade in Asten, the Netherlands.  The director was open to a discussion about animal welfare and we thank him for this.  However, upon touring the slaughter area we observed a staff member kicking a pig and another serious welfare problem and immediately drew his attention to it.  We will stay in contact with … [Read more...] about Concern at a small pig slaughterhouse in NL

Eyes on Animals inspected a pig slaughterhouse in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. The director is very involved in projects to improve animal welfare. Instead of insisting that all male pigs arriving at his plant be castrated (as almost all plants in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and China do) he has given farmers the opportunity to no longer castrate their males, by having … [Read more...] about Inspection of a large pig slaughterhouse in NL

Today Eyes on Animals met with the director of the Westfort slaughterhouse in The Netherlands. He is taking effective measures to improve the quality of life of farmed pigs. The Milieukeur label is a labelling scheme for farmers to join that, among other things, do NOT castrate their male pigs and have reduced ammoniac levels in their barns. Ammoniac burns the eyes and … [Read more...] about Meeting with a slaughterhouse director in NL that is trying to improve things

These male piglets will never have to endure the pain of being castrated.   In April 2008 the Dutch group Varkens in Nood threatened to take Dutch supermarkets to court for causing unnecessary suffering by selling pig meat from castrated males. The retailers reacted by agreeing to search alternatives, and now together with a large German slaughterhouse that supplies most … [Read more...] about Inspection of a slaughterhouse and farm stopping with pig castration