We are witnessing another transit animal transport south of Potsdam. This time, so-called “spent” laying hens are loaded, on their way from the Netherlands to a slaughterhouse near Gdańsk. The hens are transported in plastic crates with a solid floor and a watering system. We do not know whether the water is turned on, but we do not see any of the animals drinking. Furthermore, one nipple drinker per transport crate is far from sufficient for the number of hens inside—according to the driver, 14 hens are loaded per crate. Most of them are trying to stand in the cramped space and appear very restless. However, the crates are too low, so the hens bump their heads against the top. The birds are also dirty, including their cloacas and claws. According to the transport documents, the 9,000 animals were loaded the previous evening at 10 p.m. We follow them to the Polish slaughterhouse, where they arrive around 7:30 p.m. the following day—that is, after 21.5 hours—without being fed or sufficiently watered (which is legally required for transports over 12 hours). Considering that the animals must fast before transport, the time without food is even longer. It is completely unfair that these animals, not even two years old, after intensive use by humans and laying many eggs, are transported with so little consideration for their needs and behavior as a “thank you.” Every last bit of profit is extracted from their exhausted bodies—regardless of the price the animals have to pay. Twenty-five animals died during the transport, but with a total of 9,000 hens, this “loss” is already accounted for.
We will inform the responsible authorities about our observations and call for significantly shorter transport times and better transport conditions for these vulnerable animals across the EU.
