On Wednesday 24 July a team from Eyes on Animals made an unannounced visit to the slaughterhouse of KemperKip in Uden. We wanted to see if measures were being taken to protect chickens waiting for slaughter during the extreme heat of this week. No slaughtering was taking place on the day but we had the opportunity to have a conversation with an officeworker.
KemperKip is an example of closed chain production “from one day-old chicks to packaging”. On small-scale farms in the Netherlands, specially selected, slow-growing breeds of birds are raised in an animal-friendly manner. KemperKip slaughters 2 types of chickens:
1) The organic Kemper Landhoen with 3 stars BeterLeven hallmark from the Dierenbescherming. The birds have access to the outside during the day and have unlimited feed and water from the open drinkers . The growth period of these slow-growing chickens is almost twice as long as that of the conventional broiler chicken.
2) The Kemper Mais free range chickens also have outside access during the day with the same water and feed facilities and their growth period lasts more than 3 weeks longer than the standard broiler chicken.
(The common broiler chicken lives around 42 days, the free-range chicken between 56 and 63 days and the organic chicken 70 to 81 days.)
KemperKip slaughter twice a week and because it is a small-scale slaughterhouse, they are able to slaughter before it gets really hot. The slaughterhouse also has a roofed area for one livestock truck. They do not require additional space because the supply runs at a 1 truck capacity, with the occasional 2 trucks.
Eyes on Animals approves of the way the birds are kept, the slower growth breeds used and the small scale of the slaughterhouse; we are therefore planning a return visit on a day when they are slaughtering.
See also http://www.kemperkip.com
