• 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 » Visit to Van Rooi slaughterhouse (NL) after animal welfare improvements

Visit to Van Rooi slaughterhouse (NL) after animal welfare improvements

March 18, 2022

Today Eyes on Animals visited Van Rooi slaughterhouse in Helmond (NL) where several improvements were implemented following our advice. A large section of the automatic push gates (that lead the pigs to the CO2 stunner) were removed and replaced by calm workers. This has significantly reduced stress levels amongst the pigs. The pigs now walk more calmly and their stress-behavior witnessed during the previous visit, such as  jumping on top of each other, screaming and balking was significantly lowered. As most of the push-gates are now removed, there is also far less chance of pigs being pushed over or getting stuck underneath.

Automatic doors have been replaced by workers that drive the pigs in small groups. This has significantly reduced stress.

They now use sawdust on the loading dock floor and in the raceways towards the lairage. This masks distractions found on the floor, such as metal strips, puddles and drains, resulting in the pigs walking with more confidence and with  less chance of jamming. Dead end corners that the pigs got stuck in have also been removed by making the gates retractable.

Sawdust on the floor to reduce distractions.        Retractable gates to take away dead end corners

There is however still room for further improvement. We found the unloading ramp rather steep, the rattling cans still being used too often (causing noise and thus stress) and the climate-condition in the lairage poor. To further reduce stress we also recommended the last part of the raceway to be improved and CO2 exposure-times and levels to be increased (this does not cause additional stress, but improves the depth of unconsciousness).  Van Rooi told us that they will work with our advice. They tell us by  June the climate conditions in the waiting pen will have been addressed.  We want to thank Van Rooi for the significant steps that have already taken place. They make a huge difference for thousands of pigs each day. 

  • share 
  • tweet 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: Our inspections, slaughterhouses Tagged With: pig slaughterhouse, slaughterhouse design, slaughterhouses

Primary Sidebar

Search

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

Featured

Interview with Lesley Moffat for the podcast-show “See differently’

For the podcast-show “See differently” Christel van Raaij has a personal interview with Lesley … [Read More...] about Interview with Lesley Moffat for the podcast-show “See differently’

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

I want to tell you about Akuba. A young sow we met last week in Ghana. We were there in the first two weeks of December, inspecting and improving slaughterhouses together with the local NGO WACPAW. Our goal: curb the intense suffering of animals that is going on there.

 

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

vermistzwkater Zwart/Wit ⚫️🔵⚫️ @vermistzwkater ·
1h

@Nieuwsuur Het werd eens tijd dat het dierenwelzijn op 1 staat ! Dat geldt niet alleen voor Nederland maar voor de hele wereld ! #dierenwelzijn @Eyes_on_Animals @HouseAnimals_nl Meer ruimte en meer vrijheid voor de dieren en het kalf bij haar moeder laten !

Reply on Twitter 1619801789464731649 Retweet on Twitter 1619801789464731649 2 Like on Twitter 1619801789464731649 7 Twitter 1619801789464731649
nieuwsuur Nieuwsuur @nieuwsuur ·
1h

Het kan het einde betekenen van de veehouderij zoals we die kennen in Nederland. Door een nieuwe wet moet dierenwelzijn voorop staan: varkens moeten vrij kunnen wroeten en koeien en kalveren samen kunnen leven. Althans, dat wil de Tweede Kamer.

#Nieuwsuur

Reply on Twitter 1619799890380341248 Retweet on Twitter 1619799890380341248 40 Like on Twitter 1619799890380341248 84 Twitter 1619799890380341248
ruudbodem Ruud Hendriks @ruudbodem ·
28 Jan

Daar zou Gandhi anders over hebben gedacht. "Bijna alles wat je doet is onbelangrijk, maar het is heel belangrijk dat je het doet".
https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/voeding-drank/voedingswetenschapper-louise-fresco-wie-stopt-met-vlees-eten-omwille-van-het-klimaat-overschat-zijn-impact/10443375.html

Reply on Twitter 1619423522123845633 Retweet on Twitter 1619423522123845633 12 Like on Twitter 1619423522123845633 65 Twitter 1619423522123845633
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