What is allowed on pig breeding farms?
In the Netherlands, only vets are allowed to euthanise pigs. Four drugs are available for this purpose: T61, euthanasol, lethanol, and euthanimal. They can be injected without anaesthesia into the heart or a blood vessel. The code of conduct for vets is to prevent animal suffering as much as possible. This rule of thumb has been shifting lately, as aiming for a higher health status means considering a reason for early parting from a piglet. An alternative is the so-called ‘humane killer’, also known as ‘slaughtering mask’. When killing pigs this way, the animal must bleed after having been shot, so death will occur as soon as possible. This slaughtering procedure can only be carried out by a recognised institution. A license is needed for the possession of the necessary ammunition. Keeping bad pigs costs a lot Wasters cost a lot of money, even when they go to a slaughterhouse at the weight of 25 kg, the agricultural advice group DLV claimed. An estimate showed that in the Netherlands,
