Eyes on Animals is pleased to support a promising new initiative in the Netherlands that aims to improve the lives of future pigs kept on standard farms. While this is not an Eyes on Animals project, we are helping to promote the initiative and assist in finding financial sponsors because we believe it has real potential to improve pig welfare in the future.
Over the years, Eyes on Animals has seen progress in many slaughterhouses, but conditions for pigs on factory farms in countries that massively produce pork ( the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Spain, USA, Canada, China…) remain alarmingly depressing. Pigs are highly intelligent, curious animals with a deep natural need to root and explore with their noses. Yet many are still kept day in, day out on barren slatted floors above their own slurry pits. Despite having such a powerful sense of smell, they are forced to live directly above the painful stench of accumulated waste, unable to perform many of their natural behaviours.
The initiative, led by Dutch pig veterinarian and free-range farmer Dr. Kees Scheepens, aims to demonstrate more pig-friendly housing systems for the conventional world, using solid floors, rooting material and dry straw bedding instead of slatted floors and slurry pits.
A key innovation is the “Intelligent Pig Toilet”, which trains pigs to urinate in a designated area using positive reinforcement. By separating urine and faeces, the system can reportedly reduce ammonia emissions by 80–85%, helping create a cleaner and healthier environment for both pigs and farmers.
The project also aims to educate international farmers, veterinarians and policymakers about more sustainable and compassionate ways of keeping pigs.
Eyes on Animals believes that supporting practical welfare innovations like this is an important step toward improving the lives of millions of farmed pigs, and we are hopeful this initiative can help inspire meaningful change within the international pig sector.
To read more about the project details, plans and the funding needed to help get the initiative off the ground, please see the following PDF.
This center is endorsed not only by Eyes on Animals, but also the Dierenbescherming, Compassion in World Farming, Caring Farmers, GoedGehouden and TAPP coalition.
