{"id":42179,"date":"2025-06-16T22:21:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T20:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eyesonanimals.com\/loading-piglets-at-van-rooi-reflecting-together-on-how-to-reduce-stress\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T10:34:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T08:34:11","slug":"loading-piglets-at-van-rooi-reflecting-together-on-how-to-reduce-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eyesonanimals.com\/de\/loading-piglets-at-van-rooi-reflecting-together-on-how-to-reduce-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Loading piglets at Van Rooi: reflecting together on how to reduce stress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today we observed the loading of piglets at the Van Rooi assembly centre in Lieshout. The piglets being loaded were surplus animals, selected for slaughter in Croatia due to issues such as bitten ears or umbilical hernias. Our aim was to gain insight into how \u2018fitness for transport\u2019 is assessed, and to explore ways to reduce stress during loading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herding and loading \u2013 a solid foundation, but room for improvement<\/strong>
The walking route from pen to truck was well designed: there were no sharp turns or dead ends, and all raceways had high, solid walls to prevent the animals from being startled. Sawdust had been spread along the entire route from pen to truck \u2013 a smart way to soften contrasts in the flooring, which piglets are particularly sensitive to due to their limited vision. Also positive: the animals were barely touched during handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, we observed areas where things could be improved. New groups of piglets were being moved forward while the previous group was still being loaded. As a result, the incoming piglets were exposed to a busy loading ramp full of people and noisy handling tools. They hesitated or turned back, and extra noise was needed to move them forward again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suggested testing the following adjustments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n