By: Marjolein van Huik, Senior Policy Officer Livestock Farming at The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals, Madelaine Looije, Inspector at Eyes on Animals
What happens to piglets deemed unsuitable for raising as finisher pigs? Tragically, these animals are not only sent to slaughter at a very young age but must also endure long and stressful journeys to get there. Why must they face such unnecessary suffering? The Dutch TV show Keuringsdienst van Waarde explored this pressing issue in a recent broadcast on NPO1. Watch it here >>
In the Netherlands, millions of piglets are born annually. Most are raised to become finisher pigs, a smaller portion are retained as future breeding sows, and a distinct category consists of slaughter piglets. These are piglets deemed unsuitable for raising as finisher pigs due to various reasons. This may include poor growth and physical defects such as umbilical hernias, bitten tails, or swollen joints. These piglets are sent to slaughter at a very young age, and unfortunately, they are also often subjected to long transport journeys before reaching their destination: a slaughterhouse.
When viewed critically, this practice is absurd and undesirable from an animal welfare perspective. Why aren’t these piglets slaughtered locally in the Netherlands, sparing them the stress of such journeys? The Dutch program Keuringsdienst van Waarde has highlighted this unnecessary transport of slaughter piglets in their recent broadcast on January 20, 2025.
Efficiency at the Expense of Pigs
The pig farming sector operates on razor-thin margins. To maintain efficiency, slaughter lines are designed and standardized for pigs weighing around 110–120 kg. Many stages of the slaughter process are automated, and the equipment is unsuitable for processing animals that deviate significantly in size or weight. Therefore, slaughterhouses demand uniform batches of pigs within a narrow weight range. Farmers who deliver non-standard pigs are penalized with lower prices.
Finisher pig farmers prefer not to keep piglets that fail to grow uniformly with the group or have defects, as these animals are less profitable. Breeding farmers similarly aim to avoid delivering low-quality piglets to their customers.
Nevertheless, non-standard piglets are an inevitable part of pig production. Breeding farmers typically cannot retain these animals on their farms, as space is needed for new litters, and raising such piglets separately is labor-intensive and costly. As a result, these piglets are sold as slaughter piglets to livestock traders. The traders collect these animals from various farms and deliver them to an assembly center, where they are sorted by weight and quality. The piglets are then transported to slaughterhouses—often on the same or following day, but sometimes only after several days.
In 2023, around 23 million piglets were born in the Netherlands. Of these, 4.1%—approximately 945,600 piglets—were categorized as slaughter piglets, also known as weaner piglets or surplus piglets. According to estimates, around 60% of these piglets are exported abroad, with most aged between 6 and 12 weeks.
In addition to slaughter piglets, a large number of weaned piglets are exported to other EU countries for further fattening. In 2024, more than 5.6 million piglets were exported, including approximately 2.5 million to Germany and 2.2 million to Spain.
While some slaughter piglets are processed in the Netherlands, many are exported to countries like Spain, Croatia, and Italy. This is because slaughter and inspection costs in these countries are significantly lower, making it financially attractive to export live animals.
The Journey to Slaughter
Most slaughter piglets are sent to Southern or Eastern Europe, enduring lengthy transport under stressful conditions. Along the way, they face interactions with unfamiliar pigs, handlers, and environments. For example, at assembly centers, piglets are often mixed with unfamiliar animals, leading to aggressive interactions, dominance fights and some piglets being bullied for several hours.
At the assembly center, piglets are sorted by weight and quality, after which they may wait for hours or even days before the transport begins. The unfamiliar surroundings and prolonged waiting time cause significant stress and fear before the actual journey starts.
Depending on the destination, the transport itself can last 18–24 hours (e.g., to Croatia or Spain) or even 2–3 days (e.g., to Sardinia). The EU Transport Regulation No. 1/2005 allows pigs to be transported for up to 24 hours continuously. If the journey exceeds 24 hours, the animals must be unloaded at a control post for a 24-hour break before resuming transport. This cycle can be repeated indefinitely.
Fatigue, heatstress and hierarchy fights
During transport, slaughter piglets are often crowded together in trucks, which can result in fighting. Limited space prevents the animals from moving freely, lying comfortably, or escaping dominant peers. The EU Transport Regulation allows a loading density of pigs up to 235 kg/m², which equates to about 9 piglets per square meter for slaughter piglets weighing 25 kg. A private Dutch livestock transport quality system recommends a slightly better standard of 6.5 piglets per square meter. Nevertheless, the lack of space can still lead to overheating and heat stress.
Trucks must have a water system, but it is unclear whether all pigs can access it or whether they know how to use it. Food is not provided during transport, as an empty stomach reduces motion sickness, but this results in prolonged hunger.
The constant motion and vibrations of the truck, unfamiliar sounds and smells, hunger, and thirst contribute to fatigue, nausea, fear, and stress. Some piglets become weak, fall ill, or even die during transport.
Make Custom Solutions Possible
Pigs are not standard units. Raising and profiting from pigs comes with the responsibility to care for individual animals that fall outside the norm. Subjecting young, vulnerable piglets to journeys lasting one or more days, only to be slaughtered at their destination, is unacceptable.
Slaughtering these piglets in the Netherlands and exporting the meat is a viable alternative. Some slaughterhouses already do this, but the costs are relatively high. A piglet yields less meat than a standard finisher pig, and slaughtering piglets involves smaller numbers, higher inspection costs, and increased rejection rates, all of which drive up expenses. This additional burden means Dutch slaughterhouses face significant competition from foreign ones with lower slaughter and inspection costs.
The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming) and Eyes on Animals argue that the drive to produce pork at the lowest possible cost should not lead to long-distance transport of slaughter piglets. All pig farmers occasionally deal with piglets that have small or big abnormalities. The industry and government should collaborate to ensure these vulnerable animals are slaughtered in the Netherlands, without the need for assembly centers. Possible solutions include sharing additional costs across the supply chain, reducing slaughter and inspection costs for these piglets, or providing subsidies to offset the higher costs.
Key Findings of Eyes on Animals
Eyes on Animals (EonA) conducts inspections of livestock transport, slaughterhouses, and assembly centers. Over the past few years, EonA has investigated the transport and slaughter of piglets. These investigations, carried out both domestically and abroad, have revealed the following alarming issues:
- Many piglets suffer from health problems, such as bitten tails and ears, umbilical hernias, and swollen joints. The prolonged transport of these vulnerable animals—from farm to assembly center and then to slaughterhouses in Croatia, Spain, and Italy—is unacceptable.
- Transport to slaughterhouses often lasts up to 22 hours. However, the total journey—including collection from farms, transport to assembly centers, and waiting times there—is often much longer. At assembly centers, animals may wait for hours or even days, exposing them to heat stress, cold stress, and fighting due to limited space and the mixing of pigs from different farms.
- Some slaughter piglets are first sent to assembly centers in Northern Italy and then transported further to slaughterhouses on the island of Sardinia. Including the ferry crossing and waiting times at assembly centers, the total journey time spans several days.
- Severe fights frequently occur at assembly centers and during transport, as piglets unfamiliar with each other are mixed without adequate space, shelter, or distraction materials. These fights can last for hours, leading to serious injuries, exhaustion, and even death.
- During slaughter, piglets are often stunned manually using electric tongs. Due to their small size and constant movement, the tongs are frequently not applied correctly to their heads, resulting in ineffective stunning. This causes significant stress and pain. New, more animal-friendly methods are urgently needed.
