Double density piglet load stopped in Austria

“From an animal welfare point it is ridiculous how this truck was overloaded”, a police officer said when he rang the trucking company.

 

A total of 1850 piglets of nearly 4 weeks old were loaded in Germany on Monday night in a Dutch trailer truck to be transported to Hungary. This number was twice the number allowed to transport in a 4-tier trailer of this size.

 

Because the truck driver infringed several traffic laws he drew attention to the Austrian police who eventually stopped him.

 

A veterinarian was called to have a look at the piglets. “Some piglets were lying on their sides, unable to move and some had breathing problems,” he said.

 

Although the trailer was equipped with ventilators and drinkers many pigs were unable to reach the drinkers.

 

Half of the number of piglets was unloaded to a nearby temporary shelter to recover. The trucking company was fined € 3,600 and has to pay the costs of temporary housing of the piglets.

 

Today the transport of remaining 900 piglets was continued to a pig grower in Hungary. It is already the third time this year that animal transports were stopped in Austria and found not to be within the rules.

 

Austria has contracts with five farmers along the major routes to neighbouring countries for use of their stables in emergency cases like these.