Eyes on Animals attended the final PigStun conference in Brussels. PigStun is an EU-funded project led by scientists to explore alternative stunning methods to high-concentration CO2 gas for rendering pigs unconscious before slaughter in high-throughput facilities. This study is important because CO2 gas is painful for pigs; it’s highly acidic, causing irritation to the … [Read more...] about EonA at the final PigStun Project conference, Brussels
animal welfare improvements
NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Following enforcement requests by Animal Rights, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) will finally take stronger action against a long-standing animal welfare issue: birds ending up on their backs in transport crates or containers. This often occurs when poultry is handled roughly during loading and tossed into crates or containers at high speed and … [Read more...] about NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
On 19 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the cattle market in Leeuwarden. The market management immediately made time to show us around. The market appeared well organised: all cattle were housed in groups (except for the bulls), there was plenty of clean straw, the air was fresh, and water was available in every pen. Compared to a few years ago, the condition of … [Read more...] about Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
On 18 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden. We were immediately welcomed and, as always, given the opportunity to observe the calves. The market appeared well organised: calves were housed in groups, there was plenty of clean straw, and the handling of the animals was calm. We also observed good practices, such as drivers placing straw on … [Read more...] about Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
Illustration of electric stunning at a halal sheep abattoir near Tekirdag, Turkey
Together with humane-slaughter specialists from Bristol university, Eyes on Animals re-visited this cattle and sheep slaughterhouse that EonA knows very well. Years ago we taught the use of captive bolt stunners on cattle. We were very pleased to see that the captive bolt stunner we gave them 4 years ago is still in use and gave them some more boxes of cartridges. Since … [Read more...] about Illustration of electric stunning at a halal sheep abattoir near Tekirdag, Turkey
