We made an announced visit last Friday to Ameco slaughterhouse in the Netherlands. They wanted to show us some concrete changes they had put in place since our previous visit to decrease fear and pain during slaughter. The most significant change was a better stun box, built by DGS, where the cattle could be accurately and quickly stunned, thanks to quiet and gentle … [Read more...] about Inspection of Ameco cattle slaughterhouse, NL
slaughterhouse design
Inspection of delivery of pigs to Westfort slaughterhouse (NL) on a hot day
Today Eyes on Animals visited pig slaughterhouse Westfort to observe the measures they have taken to protect the delivered pigs from extreme heat. Temperatures reached 33-35 °C today with a humidity of almost 50%. We documented the arrival of 10 pig trucks. A couple of years ago Westfort, partly due to the advice from Eyes on Animals, built a canopy with … [Read more...] about Inspection of delivery of pigs to Westfort slaughterhouse (NL) on a hot day
Three slaughterhouses implement animal welfare improvements
Following the advice of Eyes on Animals, three Dutch pig slaughterhouses have implemented animal welfare improvements. They are Pali in Geldrop, Vion in Groenlo and Vion in Apeldoorn. At Pali and Vion Groenlo several improvements were made so that when moving the pigs to the stunning area, they experience less stress. Changes include moving the pigs in smaller groups, … [Read more...] about Three slaughterhouses implement animal welfare improvements
Visit to Pali pig slaughterhouse in Geldrop
Today Eyes on Animals visited Pali pig slaughterhouse in Geldrop. Following advice that we gave them during our previous visit, Pali has now implemented several improvements to reduce stress levels among the pigs. A number of adjustments were made to the chute (single-file raceway): sharp contrasts and protruding parts have been removed, the entire floor is … [Read more...] about Visit to Pali pig slaughterhouse in Geldrop
Visit of Huetthaler slaughterhouse, Austria
Today Eyes on Animals visited an Austrian pig and cattle meat company that, 4 years ago, built a new multi-million euro slaughterhouse with "animal-behaviour and emotions" as their main focus. Their goal was to set up the most humane slaughterhouse possible. They visited 38 other slaughterhouses around Europe to come up with the best design to keep stress and pain low. The … [Read more...] about Visit of Huetthaler slaughterhouse, Austria
Visit to Agri4+ slaughterhouse in Lichtenvoorde, NL
Today Eyes on Animals visited Agri4+ slaughterhouse in Lichtenvoorde. It is a relatively small slaughterhouse, where pigs, cattle and sheep are slaughtered. The advantage of small plants is that there is often less time pressure to process large number of animals per hour, and thus more time to handle the animals calmly. But still, the personnel and equipment need to be … [Read more...] about Visit to Agri4+ slaughterhouse in Lichtenvoorde, NL
EonA advises on on-farm slaughtering initiative
Today Eyes on Animals had a meeting with two initiators of the Mobile Slaughtering Cooperative (CMS). CMS wants to develop a mobile pig slaughterhouse that can be placed on the farm itself – eliminating the need to transport the pigs. The pigs are stunned (made unconscious) in their familiar surroundings (in the barn or field) and are then further processed in the … [Read more...] about EonA advises on on-farm slaughtering initiative
Inspection of Willems pig slaughterhouse (NL) with unique crowdpen and stunbox
Today we visited Willems slaughterhouse in Druten. The owner designed his own version of the Bud box to minimalize stress for the animals when entering the restraint box. According to the owner this also has a positive effect on the quality of the meat. The design is based on the Bud box for cows. It is a square pen with an elongated swing gate. With the swing gate and … [Read more...] about Inspection of Willems pig slaughterhouse (NL) with unique crowdpen and stunbox
First meeting of committee “welfare improvement at pig slaughter”
Today, the committee on "welfare improvement in pig slaughter” met for the first time. The committee includes: Two scientific experts on stunning, a veterinarian specializing in pigs and their behavior, a technical expert on slaughter lines, an animal welfare manager from a large pig slaughterhouse and Eyes on Animals. Reasons for the committee Many pigs in … [Read more...] about First meeting of committee “welfare improvement at pig slaughter”
Six (Halal) slaughterhouses in Turkey now stun animals prior to slaughter
Since 2013 Eyes on Animals has been working hard at improving slaughterhouses in Turkey. Several plants were keen to work with us and made improvements, such as making the floors anti-slip, installing water troughs in the waiting pens, making the walls of the raceway solid… But what was a much more challenging improvement to get in place was getting the animals rendered … [Read more...] about Six (Halal) slaughterhouses in Turkey now stun animals prior to slaughter
