Today we were busy all day giving welfare trainings to small groups of employees of a large pig slaughterhouse. Tomorrow we will return as 50 employees in total are participating. We worked with this slaughterhouse for the past 3 years to drastically improve the design of automated electric pig stunning and the way pigs are moved through it, in an effort to help phase out … [Read more...] about Training employees and improving automatic electric stunning of pigs as a more humane alternative to CO2
pig slaughterhouse
Visit to VION pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo (NL) on a hot day
Due to the warm weather (26°C), Eyes on Animals conducted an unannounced visit to the VION slaughterhouse in Groenlo, where finishing pigs and sows are slaughtered. We were given permission to immediately observe the stationary trucks waiting on their premises and the unloading process. Unfortunately, the waiting time was really long: the pigs on board had to wait 2-2.5 … [Read more...] about Visit to VION pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo (NL) on a hot day
Visit to VION pig slaughterhouse in Boxtel to check on the waiting times
Today we made an unannounced visit to VION in Boxtel. As witnessed by EonA in previous years we saw, many pig-trucks parked up along the public road. VION in Boxtel has a lairage but it is too small for the number of pigs they slaughter each hour, the pigs are left waiting until there is space available. This is a very undesirable situation at any time of the year but it … [Read more...] about Visit to VION pig slaughterhouse in Boxtel to check on the waiting times
Visit to pig slaughterhouse Van Rooi for animal welfare advice
Today we visited Van Rooi pig slaughterhouse in Helmond. After a tour of the slaughterhouse we came together to brainstorm on how we could reduce stress during loading, unloading and whilst moving the pigs through the raceways. No more mixing Van Rooi is currently experimenting keeping the pigs in small social groups. Previously, there would be about 30 pigs in one … [Read more...] about Visit to pig slaughterhouse Van Rooi for animal welfare advice
Beerten piglet-slaughterhouse in Zieuwent (NL) has closed it’s doors
Beerten Slaughterhouse in Zieuwent, where mainly piglets are slaughtered, has closed it’s doors. The main reason for this decision is due to the stricter monitoring and enforcement by NVWA and rising energy costs. Eyes on Animals visited Beerten at the end of 2019 and noted several malpractices. Piglets were not stunned and bled adequately. We also … [Read more...] about Beerten piglet-slaughterhouse in Zieuwent (NL) has closed it’s doors
Follow-up inspection Kumasi slaughterhouse, Ghana
Today the EonA and WACPAW team in Ghana went to Kumasi Abattoir, one of the largest slaughterhouses in Ghana. Here, 300 cattle, 50 pigs and dozens of goats are slaughtered every day. It is a slaughterhouse that was built with money from the Canadian International Develoment Agency 25 years ago and back then was state of the art. However, many things no longer work and … [Read more...] about Follow-up inspection Kumasi slaughterhouse, Ghana
Ampoma farm and slaughter slab, Ghana
Today the team from WACPAW and Eyes on Animals, along with our trainees from The Vegan Village in Uganda, visited Ampoma farm and slaughter slab in the Eastern Region of Accra. The pigs at this farm looked quite healthy and well fed. The farm pens were clean, had adequate water drinkers and the pigs had plenty of space. Sadly they did not have any foraging material though, … [Read more...] about Ampoma farm and slaughter slab, Ghana
Pigs suffering from heatstress on board stationary trucks parked at Vion slaughterhouse in Boxtel (NL)
Today Eyes on Animals visited Vion slaughterhouse in Boxtel. On July 18 we documented long waiting lines and pigs suffering severely from heat stress. We were hoping today the situation would have improved, but unfortunately it had not. Again, we documented pigs waiting on board stationary trucks, with an average time of 70 minutes, and … [Read more...] about Pigs suffering from heatstress on board stationary trucks parked at Vion slaughterhouse in Boxtel (NL)
EonA and WACPAW visit pig slaughterhouse Feenstra in Drachten (NL)
Today, together with Safian Abdul Rahman (director of the Ghanaian organisation WACPAW), we visited slaughterhouse Feenstra in Drachten (NL). Feenstra is a small slaughterhouse where pigs are calmly handled and manually stunned in their group. Because of this, stress is kept to a minimum. We wanted to show this to Safian so he could take this knowledge back to Ghana. … [Read more...] about EonA and WACPAW visit pig slaughterhouse Feenstra in Drachten (NL)
Unannounced visit to slaughterhouse Gosschalk in Epe (NL)
Following our advice, slaughterhouse Gosschalk has implemented several improvements to reduce the stress level among the pigs. To further improve, Gosschalk gave us permission to also conduct unannounced inspections at their location. Today was the first inspection. The inspection today was done based on camera-footage, both live and stored images … [Read more...] about Unannounced visit to slaughterhouse Gosschalk in Epe (NL)
