Today we visited Jolmers Opleidingen. Jolmers is one of two institutes in the Netherlands that provides the new and compulsory course for chicken catchers. Eyes on Animals has been providing welfare courses to chicken catcher teams since 2015. We attended Jolmers' course and then exchanged ideas, experiences and knowledge with each other. Animal welfare is increasingly … [Read more...] about Jolmers shows us their welfare course
chicken-catching
Rondeel chickens first to be caught and loaded in a more friendly manner
Chickens will no longer be grabbed by their legs, hung upside down and stuffed into transport crates 4 to 5 at a time when they leave the farm to go to the slaughterhouse. Eyes on Animals has introduced the 'EonA Dutch catching method' to the Dutch poultry industry. Dutch poultry and egg farm "Rondeel" is the first to switch over. Organic, free range, barn and caged … [Read more...] about Rondeel chickens first to be caught and loaded in a more friendly manner
Training of Pots chicken catchers
Last night we gave a poultry- welfare workshop to Pots chicken catchers near Zwolle. Roughly 15 catchers were present to learn about the physiology of poultry, and what to pay attention to during catching and loading in order to reduce stress and suffering. Afterwards we were at a commercial farm with them where they had been hired to catch and load all the spent hens. The … [Read more...] about Training of Pots chicken catchers
Meeting with poultry industry on compulsory IKB chicken catching course
Today Eyes on Animals had a meeting with representatives of the poultry industry (Avined, LTO, Nepluvi and chicken catching companies) about the upcoming mandatory IKB chicken catching course. As Eyes on Animals has much field experience and gives trainings to chicken catchers too, we initiated this meeting to exchange ideas and observations in the field. We were a bit … [Read more...] about Meeting with poultry industry on compulsory IKB chicken catching course
Inspection catching and loading at Wingens’ broiler-farm
Today, on invitation by Rob and Egbert Wingens, two brothers who own a broiler-farm in Schaijk (NL), we were given the opportunity to observe both the catching and loading of broilers at their facility. The broilers were loaded into Stork containers of 4 trays high. The broilers were destined to be slaughtered at the slaughterhouse ‘Plukon’. The broilers were caught 5 at a … [Read more...] about Inspection catching and loading at Wingens’ broiler-farm
Meeting about poultry-welfare during transport at Poultry Plast, Italy
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 … [Read more...] about Meeting about poultry-welfare during transport at Poultry Plast, Italy
Inspection of emptying out of a laying-hen farm
Tonight a team from Eyes on Animals was conducting random inspections of animal transports on the roads in the Netherlands. We spotted two empty Polish poultry trucks heading towards a farm in Drenthe (NL). We followed in order to check on how the hens at the egg farm would be handled during loading before being transported for slaughter in Poland. Birds were held upside … [Read more...] about Inspection of emptying out of a laying-hen farm
Brainstorming with Rondeel about changing to a more humane catching-method
Today Eyes on Animals brainstormed with egg-producing company Rondeel on how to switch to upright catching (EonA Dutch method) and further reduce stress during catching and loading. Normally, chickens are grabbed by their legs (3-5 per hand) and then stuffed headfirst into transport crates. With the EonA Dutch method, the chickens are picked up a maximum of two at a time, … [Read more...] about Brainstorming with Rondeel about changing to a more humane catching-method
Rondeel is moving towards a more humane catching method!
After more than a year of 'tough dialogue' with the poultry industry, EonA finally succeeded: Rondeel – an egg producing company – has decided that they are going to develop a new way of catching based on the EonA Dutch method we have been teaching (keeping birds upright instead of grabbing them by their legs and stuffing them into crates while upside down). Their decision … [Read more...] about Rondeel is moving towards a more humane catching method!
Eyes on Animals gives a talk at the Organic Food exhibition in Zwolle, NL
Today Eyes on Animals was present at the Organic Food Exhibition (BioBeurs) in Zwolle, the Netherlands. We were invited to give a talk about how poultry can be caught and loaded in a much less cruel way than the universal current commercial method. We talked about the training course that we developed for chicken-catchers and the recent trainings we held to … [Read more...] about Eyes on Animals gives a talk at the Organic Food exhibition in Zwolle, NL
