Today, our team made an unannounced visit to slaughterhouse Wilki in Ravels, where large numbers of Dutch laying hens are slaughtered. At our suggestion, Wilki previously installed a canopy for poultry trucks. In warm weather, loaded trucks can wait here instead of standing in direct sunlight. We inspected the canopy today: it accommodates 2–3 trucks and is equipped … [Mehr...] about Visit to poultry slaughterhouse Wilki in Ravels (Belgium)
animal welfare improvements
EonA at the final PigStun Project conference, Brussels
Eyes on Animals attended the final PigStun conference in Brussels. PigStun is an EU-funded project led by scientists to explore alternative stunning methods to high-concentration CO2 gas for rendering pigs unconscious before slaughter in high-throughput facilities. This study is important because CO2 gas is painful for pigs; it’s highly acidic, causing irritation to the … [Mehr...] about EonA at the final PigStun Project conference, Brussels
NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Following enforcement requests by Animal Rights, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) will finally take stronger action against a long-standing animal welfare issue: birds ending up on their backs in transport crates or containers. This often occurs when poultry is handled roughly during loading and tossed into crates or containers at high speed and … [Mehr...] about NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
On 19 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the cattle market in Leeuwarden. The market management immediately made time to show us around. The market appeared well organised: all cattle were housed in groups (except for the bulls), there was plenty of clean straw, the air was fresh, and water was available in every pen. Compared to a few years ago, the condition of … [Mehr...] about Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
On 18 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden. We were immediately welcomed and, as always, given the opportunity to observe the calves. The market appeared well organised: calves were housed in groups, there was plenty of clean straw, and the handling of the animals was calm. We also observed good practices, such as drivers placing straw on … [Mehr...] about Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
