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Home » Our inspections » First meeting of committee “welfare improvement at pig slaughter”

First meeting of committee “welfare improvement at pig slaughter”

January 19, 2021

Today, the committee on “welfare improvement in pig slaughter” met for the first time. The committee includes: Two scientific experts on stunning, a veterinarian specializing in pigs and their behavior, a technical expert on slaughter lines, an animal welfare manager from a large pig slaughterhouse and Eyes on Animals. 

Reasons for the committee

Many pigs in Europe are stunned with CO2. Scientists and animal welfare organizations, including Eyes on Animals, consider the CO2 stunning method inhumane because it causes 10-20 seconds of respiratory pain and distress, causing the animals to panic. A ban on the CO2 stunning method seems to be within reach. However, alternative gases, such as argon and nitrogen, are not (for practical nor animal welfare reasons) a suitable alternative to CO2. LAPS  (Low Atmosphere Pressure Stunning) does not appear to be suitable for pigs either. 

Electric stunning seems to be the more ‘humane’ alternative to CO2. However, the raceway to the electric stunner needs serious improvements. Pigs are scared to walk into the individual raceway and electric prods are often used to force the pigs forward. Eyes on Animals has therefore formed a research committee to establish what can be done to improve the flow of the pigs towards the electric stunner. 

Preliminary conclusions and next steps

Several options to improve the flow towards the electric stunner were discussed today, such as a coral raceway with double entrances to the stunner (like at Thones Natur), a double raceway (with transparent partitions), a crowd pen and a conveyor belt on the floor. There was consensus within the committee that research is needed into the potential of these improvements. Research has focused on alternative gases to CO2 for decades (with poor results) but electrical stunning has not been adequately researched as an improved alternative. In parallel to this, the committee will be looking for 1. slaughterhouses interested in making improvements in the flow to the electric stunner and 2. manufacturers of slaughter facilities to commit to improve electric stunning. 

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Filed Under: Our inspections, slaughterhouses Tagged With: pig slaughterhouse, pigs, slaughterhouse design

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Dear friends,

I first discovered the bad side of factory-farming and industrial slaughter when I was a young girl of twelve.
When I visited a livestock market I saw a pile of sick animals left for dead behind the building. At a huge industrial poultry slaughterhouse, I saw dozens of live chickens walking around the bloody floor…

 

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caringdoctors Caring Doctors @caringdoctors ·
26 Mar

De intensieve veehouderij draagt bij aan slechtere luchtkwaliteit en een toename van luchtwegaandoeningen bij kinderen en ouderen. Je kunt iedere dag voor een gezondere keuze gaan. Veel minder vlees en zuivel en veel meer groente en fruit en granen. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/24/uk-farming-causes-over-quarter-cities-particle-pollution-study?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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esteban_rivas Esteban Rivas @esteban_rivas ·
18h

Koeienmoeders die verdriet hebben om hun verdwenen kinderen, varkens die de werking van een spiegel begrijpen, paarden die de gezichten van soortgenoten en mensen prima herkennen, kippenkuikens die kunnen rekenen, schapen die allerlei vormen van seksualiteit kennen, 1/3

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esteban_rivas Esteban Rivas @esteban_rivas ·
18h

geiten die door hebben wat een ander kan zien. De zogenaamde "boerderijdieren" zijn veel slimmer en hebben een veel rijker gevoelsleven dan de meeste mensen denken. Tijdens deze cursus die ik op zaterdagen 22 en 29 april in Amsterdam organiseer krijg je een boeiend overzicht 2/3

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