• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • EYES ON ANIMALS – Watching out for their Welfare
  • English
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch

Eyes on Animals

Watching out for their Welfare

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
DONATE
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Key Figures
    • Contact
  • News
    • Latest news
    • Good news
    • Bad news
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Inspections
    • Farms
    • Markets
    • Transports
    • Slaughterhouses
    • Special projects
    • Other
  • Training
    • Police
    • Truck drivers
    • Poultry-catchers
    • Slaughter personnel
    • Training Material
    • Request a training
  • Industry Tips
    • Animal transport
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
    • Slaughterhouses
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
      • Ritual slaughter
    • Educational videos
  • Publications
    • In the media
      • Print
      • Television
      • Radio
      • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Special reports
    • Training Material
    • Annual reviews
  • Future Vision
  • Help us
Home » Our inspections » Unannounced visit to Leeuwarden veal market (NL)


Unannounced visit to Leeuwarden veal market (NL)


June 14, 2017

Veal market in LeeuwardenToday Eyes on Animals made an unannounced visit to the veal market in Leeuwarden (NL) where on average 600-800 calves, between the age of 2-3 weeks, are sold for further fattening. The calves were kept in groups and were provided with thick bed of straw to stand and lie on. Some of the calves were seen jumping around, enjoying their new-found freedom. The majority of the calves are not accustomed to this kind of freedom, as many come from dairy farms where their space and movement is restricted by small individual pens and igloo’s. 

Eyes on Animals nevertheless did encounter several weak or sick calves (calves with diarrhea, sunken bellies, respiratory issues). In our opinion these calves should not have been sold at the market. We noted their ear tags and passed them to the market’s managing board so they can send a complaint to the farmer.

Watering
Watering was labour intensive, done by hand with the use of a bucket and trough. Because of this method, not all calves received water with electrolytes before they were transported to their destinations. We advised the board of the market to use a large mobile water tank with a hose instead of buckets and to employ more than one person for this task.

Another point of concern was the amount of time in which the calves did not receive milk, both during transport to and from the market and whilst at the market. During this time the calves will only receive water with electrolytes as the veal farmers prefer receiving the calves with empty stomachs, claiming this reduces the risks of diarrhea. Besides, this assumption has not been scientifically proven, nor endorsed by experts, it therefore means the calves aren’t receiving any milk (nutrition) for up to 1-2 days which is unacceptable for calves their age.

Age verification
Age verification is done with the use of scanners. If it is detected that a calf is under the age of two weeks the trader will receive a fine of EUR 100. The fines are imposed by SKV and encourages the trader to perform an age check before bringing the calves to the market. On average a few fines are written up each month. The age verification itself is good, but we are aware that it is seemingly easy to enter fraudulent dates of birth in the official I&R (identification and registration) system.

Overall the loading and unloading was conducted in a calm manner. We did encounter one trucker who handled the calves very roughly and we reported this to both the market’s managing board and transportation company. They both promised this rough treatment will never happen again.
Eyes on Animals followed one truck with weakened calves to its final destination, a nearby rearing farm. Both loading and unloading was conducted in a calm manner and the individual housing pens had a thick layer of straw (according to the farmer a vital necessity for weakened calves). The pens were more spacious then we usually encounter and were partly open on the sides, allowing the calves to make physical contact with each other.

Upon arrival the calves received warm water with electrolytes and the calves in need were seen to with medication and pain relief. Eyes on Animals does not approve of the trade in weakened calves. It is the dairy farmer’s responsibility to ensure that the calves in his care are transported only when they are deemed fit and healthy enough. We were however content that this particular group of calves were handled with a little more care during transport from the market and at the rearing farm.

Calves receiving warm water with electrolytes We want to thank transport company Bouma for letting us observe the unloading of the calves, the farmer for his transparency and the market’s managing board for their willingness to implement some of the improvements we suggested.

  • share 
  • tweet 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: market, Our inspections Tagged With: calves, cattle market, live animal transports

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured

Fine for VION pig-slaughterhouse in Boxtel due to long waiting times in summer heat

An enforcement request by Eyes on Animals resulted in a fine for VION pig slaughterhouse in Boxtel … [Read More...] about Fine for VION pig-slaughterhouse in Boxtel due to long waiting times in summer heat

Featured

Upright chicken catching project on German and French TV

ZDF and Arte recently televised EonA’s project to reduce stress, pain and injuries by catching hens … [Read More...] about Upright chicken catching project on German and French TV

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

I first discovered the bad side of factory-farming and industrial slaughter when I was a young girl of twelve.
When I visited a livestock market I saw a pile of sick animals left for dead behind the building. At a huge industrial poultry slaughterhouse, I saw dozens of live chickens walking around the bloody floor…

 

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
4h

Janneke de Bijl : Maar laten we eerst even stilstaan bij de echte slachtoffers van deze verkiezingen: de dieren. #PS2023 @denieuwsbv

Reply on Twitter 1639381463656284160 Retweet on Twitter 1639381463656284160 Like on Twitter 1639381463656284160 4 Twitter 1639381463656284160
eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
7h

De melkkoe gaat de fossiele auto achterna | Trouw https://www.trouw.nl/duurzaamheid-economie/de-melkkoe-gaat-de-fossiele-auto-achterna~b02d9c81/

Reply on Twitter 1639343286451318784 Retweet on Twitter 1639343286451318784 2 Like on Twitter 1639343286451318784 3 Twitter 1639343286451318784
dierenrecht Dier&Recht @dierenrecht ·
14h

Dierenrechtenorganisatie @l214 onthult: nog altijd ernstige mishandeling van piepjonge Ierse kalfjes tijdens dagenlang transport naar Nederland. NL kalverbedrijven weten dit, maar blijven ze importeren. @ministerlnv, @_NVWA, maak NU een einde aan dit leed! https://vimeo.com/810887324/cf1fc3ab84

Reply on Twitter 1639225878734594049 Retweet on Twitter 1639225878734594049 135 Like on Twitter 1639225878734594049 124 Twitter 1639225878734594049
Load More...

ANBI

Footer

Donate with Paypal

Paypal Eyes on Animals
One-time donation:
Monthly donation:

Reading Material

  • In the Media
  • Newsletters
  • Special EonA reports
  • Legislative texts
  • ANBI

Our Amsterdam Office

Amsterdam House Hotel
Eyes on Animals main office is in downtown Amsterdam, at the Amsterdam House Hotel. The generous and warm-hearted hotel owner donated to Eyes on Animals, free of charge, a beautiful room where our inspectors can work, hold meetings and store their material.

Copyright © 2023 · Eyes on Animals | Website by Webkompaan