Today we visited the VION slaughterhouse in Boxtel to see how the slaughterhouse and transport companies were responding to the extreme heat. VION had implemented several measures to reduce heat stress. Around 9,500 pigs were slaughtered today instead of the usual 16,000, allowing all pigs to arrive before 12:00. This prevented transport during temperatures above 35°C, … [Read more...] about Visit to VION slaughterhouse in Boxtel during Code Red
pig slaughterhouse
Visit to Van Rooi pig slaughterhouse in Helmond during tropical temperatures
On 25 June, we visited the Van Rooi pig slaughterhouse in Helmond (NL) during a period of extreme heat. We wanted to see what measures had been taken to reduce heat stress and how long pigs had to remain in the trucks before they could be unloaded. Canopy with misting systems and ventilation provides cooling Van Rooi has a large canopy where livestock trucks wait … [Read more...] about Visit to Van Rooi pig slaughterhouse in Helmond during tropical temperatures
Presenting an improved automatic electrical stunning system as an alternative to CO₂ stunning at the Science for Animal Welfare Conference in London
This week, Eyes on Animals took part in the Science for Animal Welfare Conference (formerly UFAW) in London, where we presented a poster showcasing how an existing automatic electrical stunning system was redesigned to provide a commercially viable and more humane alternative to CO₂ stunning. Together with a major pig slaughterhouse, Eyes on Animals redesigned and … [Read more...] about Presenting an improved automatic electrical stunning system as an alternative to CO₂ stunning at the Science for Animal Welfare Conference in London
Heat stress inspection at a large slaughterhouse
Yesterday, we were in the field monitoring how pigs were coping with the extreme heat during transport. At one large Dutch slaughterhouse, we observed four trucks carrying pigs waiting to unload. One truck was parked in direct sunlight. When our team arrived, the driver left the parking area and began driving around to create airflow for the pigs. Another driver whom we … [Read more...] about Heat stress inspection at a large slaughterhouse
Introducing a major German retailer to a practical and more humane alternative to CO₂ stunning
Today we hosted the animal welfare manager of a large German supermarket chain, together with a veterinarian from the Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V., for a visit to a large pig slaughterhouse where pigs are automatically stunned using electricity instead of the highly aversive CO₂ gas. Pigs exposed to CO₂ experience 15–30 seconds of intense panic and pain before losing … [Read more...] about Introducing a major German retailer to a practical and more humane alternative to CO₂ stunning
Blog published in Meating Place about EonA’s alternative to painful CO2 gas stunning of pigs
Erica Voogt, a U.S.-based animal welfare consultant specializing in slaughter practices and colleague of Temple Grandin, recently published a blog on Meating Place, a website platform for major players of the international meat industry such as Cargill, JPS and Tyson, about our project to phase out CO₂ stunning in pigs and replace it with a newly designed, less painful and … [Read more...] about Blog published in Meating Place about EonA’s alternative to painful CO2 gas stunning of pigs
German TV reports on the less painful alternative to CO2 gas that EonA designed for a pig slaughterhouse
German TV (NDR) again broadcasted a documentary about the pain and suffering caused by CO₂ gas, which is used in most large pig slaughterhouses in the West. 80% of pigs in Germany are forced to inhale high concentrations of CO2 which causes panic, chemical burning of the mucous membranes and suffocation. This time, however, they also showed the "new" alternative: the … [Read more...] about German TV reports on the less painful alternative to CO2 gas that EonA designed for a pig slaughterhouse
Regional slaughterhouses are disappearing — and animals are paying the price
Across the Netherlands, regional slaughterhouses are disappearing at an alarming pace. Not because they are unnecessary, but because they can no longer survive financially. And while that might sound like good news coming from an animal welfare organization, the reality is the opposite. The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products, … [Read more...] about Regional slaughterhouses are disappearing — and animals are paying the price
Training on how to stun pigs humanely prior to slaughter, Doweba (Ghana)
WACPAW and EonA team inspected slaughter conditions at another pig farm in Ghana (Doweba). This farm slaughters 60 pigs per week at their own slaughter-slab. Warning- Some of these images are hard to look at, but they show the reality of what we are up against — and why this work matters. In most countries, pigs are still slaughtered while fully conscious, without … [Read more...] about Training on how to stun pigs humanely prior to slaughter, Doweba (Ghana)
Training on captive bolt stunning at Geomatela Pig Farm and Abattoir, Ghana
Now equipped with 10 new captive bolt stunners and cartridges, WACPAW/EonA got right into the field. Our first training this week on humane stunning took place at Geomatela pig farm in Somanya, in Ghana's eastern region. Around 100 pigs here are slaughtered each week, and because there are not enough pigs on site, most animals are purchased from other … [Read more...] about Training on captive bolt stunning at Geomatela Pig Farm and Abattoir, Ghana
