Thousands of unborn animals end up in the waste

In these moments, a butcher and meat scold shiver in silence: in addition to the giblets of the killed cow is a living baby calf on the battle belt. A pregnant mother animal has been delivered, although this rules according to the Industry is not likely to occur.

several Times a day, occur in Swiss slaughterhouses such scenes. At 2300 slaughtered female cattle and cows had been found between March 2017 and February 2018, a pregnancy, a non-published, internal report of the meat industry Association of Proviande.

find Difficult to bear images

It had, the meat industry, in 2017 the goal is to end the misery. Pregnant animals should only be slaughtered "in unavoidable exceptional situations and emergencies", in the case of incurable diseases or accidents.

pet owners have been made aware of, and a monitoring system was established. The industry's umbrella organisation Proviande was seriously Worried about Image of the Swiss beef cattle production after German TV stations had reported about baby calf massacre in slaughterhouses; the images were hard to bear. The guardians of the brand "Swiss meat" called on pet owners to "take their ethical responsibility."

Every fourth farmer knew of the pregnancy

To Action the industry was forced also because a study of the Federal government had revealed that annually, 15'have been sent 000 pregnant cattle from their keepers in the slaughter-house – including the animals in the last month of Gestation. Every fourth farmer claimed to have of pregnancy, the animals knew that. Often, the pregnant animals were slaughtered because of ill udder.

After the industry Association, the farmers had been reminded of their responsibility to "pregnant animals and their fetuses", is the number of the offals of dead baby calves, according to the latest survey, would be significantly decreased. In spite of the large efforts of the meat industry, the slaughter of milk cows and cattle carrying but still not uncommon.

farmers and traders, which send highly pregnant cattle and pigs to the slaughter, be fined in Germany since last year. For Proviande, Director of the Heinrich Bucher on the introduction of penalties in Switzerland is not necessary. "Often, carelessness is the cause," he says. Come, however, to light that the same farmers are affected, should be thinking about sanctions.

tens of thousands of lambs are likely to as the battle of falling

Also at the time of slaughter of sheep the unborn lambs to find in waste, tubs to an end, before you have made the first breath. Official Meat inspectors reports of relevant incidents. How many pregnant sheep are killed in Switzerland, but no one. In a comprehensive field study in Germany at 16 percent of the slaughtered mother and young sheep, the unborn lambs were discovered. "I would not be surprised if an investigation in Switzerland would deliver similar results," says Katharina Riehn, Director of the research project at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg. Accordingly to be expected that in the battle of Switzerland every year, tens of thousands of unborn lambs as the battle of waste to be disposed of.

Problem here: To unwanted to prevent Pregnant in flocks of sheep, would have to be neutered young male animals consistently. However, since the Federal castration prescribes rates, waive some sheep farmers, and take into account that their animals are pregnant.

the industry

The Swiss sheep breeders Association encourages the veterinary authorities of the Federal government to Act. "Pregnancy slaughter, we do not tolerate it," says the Association's spokesman Christian Aeschlimann. Veterinarians do not have to register the incidents, but Fallible also inform you, "so that they can reconsider their herd management".

The competent Federal office for food safety and veterinary office (fsvo) is not, however, in the duty. Slaughtering of pregnant animals were not prohibited in Switzerland. Because a legal basis is missing, the office will also not Pay.

Kaspar Jörger, head of the BLV-animal protection Department, return the Ball sharply: "It is up to the industry to improve the Situation." As it has in the case of the cattle "successfully made".

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 17.02.2019, 19:57 PM