Eyes on Animals met with an Italian veterianarian and a company called “Poultry Plast” today to discuss current problems with the loading and transport of poultry and see how design can be improved on to reduce the level of suffering. Poultry Plast makes transport crates for all types of poultry and also rabbits. They make large crates with access doors that can go on a flatbed truck leaving a gap of 20 cm in the middle. The fact that there are only two columns of crates and access doors on the outter sides, means there is always access to all birds during transport. The gap also provides better air circulation. We discussed a new plastic floor they are about to make a mould of for their crates, that separates the urine so that the rabbits and chickens have a place to stand on that remains dry. This floor also provides better comfort for their feet, as it provides some traction and is mainly solid.
EonA will now put pressure on an Italian poultry transport company that uses horrible metal cages (where wings and legs and sometimes even heads get crushed) to switch to this. We will also spread the info about these crates to other EU poultry transport companies that continue to transport birds without access doors and without adequate ventilation. We will remain in contact with Poultry Plast to give feedback on crate design, which they will then incorporate in their planning of new moulds.
