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Double density piglet load stopped in Austria
A Dutch trailer truck was stopped on the ring road in
Vienna, Austria this week because he was transporting twice the number of
piglets allowed.
“From an animal welfare point it is ridiculous how this truck was
overloadedâ€, 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.
Editor PigProgress
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