Early this morning the EonA/AWF team dropped unannounced to the poultry slaughterhouse Zalabasomfi in Pacsa, Hungary.
This plant slaughters broilers and turkeys. The transport of birds remains problematic, with catching and loading conditions often leading to injuries. Unfit turkeys are not allowed to be loaded, but birds of over 5kg are also difficult to humanely kill on the farm as there is no suitable instrument yet on the market. The crates and containers are often not in accordance with the EU legislation, as there is no access to the birds during transport and ventilation can be limited.
Upon arriving containers of broilers on one truck were being unloaded. We presented ourselves and explained that we would like to observe the conditions of the birds and the crates, and discuss with the veterinarian or boss some of our ideas on how to improve the welfare of poultry; namely the new crate developed in the Netherlands that offers access to the birds in the outer rows and the idea of training their catchers in humane handling and euthanasia on the farm.
Unfortunately the boss was too busy and the veterinarian not present, but we were told they would call us back so we could try to organize an appointment to visit the plant at a future date.
