Today Eyes on Animals performed inspections of livestock trucks on a parking lot in Zuid-Holland. Drivers regularly wait here until they can unload the animals at the slaughterhouse nearby. We arrived around noon when the outside temperature was about 26C. There was enough shade for the cattle trucks due to high trees at the edge of the parking lot. There were … [Read more...] about Inspection calf transports in Zuid-Holland
live animal transports
Concerns about forced-ventilated closed livestock trucks
Eyes on Animals has written to several major truck-design companies regarding concerns we have with forced-ventilated closed livestock trucks. These trucks are completely closed and automatically ventilated. During our summer inspections, however, we witnessed this ventilation is not always sufficient, making these trucks very hot and humid - resulting in heat … [Read more...] about Concerns about forced-ventilated closed livestock trucks
Meeting with ZonVarken about reducing stress during transport and slaughter
Today we had a meeting with two representatives from ZonVarken. ZonVarken is an innovative pig farming concept focusing on animal welfare, the environment (including climate change), the farmer, and the local community. We were impressed with their innovative approach focusing on the pigs welfare and natural behaviour from birth to … [Read more...] about Meeting with ZonVarken about reducing stress during transport and slaughter
Inspection of the welfare of animals transported in today’s hot weather (NL)
Due to the heat, Eyes on Animals checked the welfare of animals in trucks waiting near Clazing poultry slaughterhouse and Boer calf slaughterhouse in the Netherlands. Many slaughterhouses like these, do not have enough space to be able to unload arriving livestock trucks immediately. The animals therefore have to wait on board, often in a parking lot, until the truck can … [Read more...] about Inspection of the welfare of animals transported in today’s hot weather (NL)
The Netherlands and several German Federal States put a stop to live exports
The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and several Federal States in Germany finally put a stop to the export of animals to third countries requiring a 24-hr stop, but other EU Member States must follow suit. For years EU animals, such as dairy cows and breeding pigs, slaughter-cattle and sheep, trucked to far away countries outside the EU have been … [Read more...] about The Netherlands and several German Federal States put a stop to live exports