In 2021, violations of animal welfare controls were found in around 41 percent of pig farms and around 40 percent of calf farms, the Ministry of Agriculture in Munich said at the request of the Greens.
In the case of laying hen farms, there were complaints in 15 percent of the checks, and in 19 percent of the cases with broilers. In the case of the other recorded animal husbandries, which also include cattle husbandry, 38 percent of the inspected companies were objected to.
« For example, there are complaints about deficiencies in the supply of feed and water or too little space per animal, » said the Green agricultural expert in the state parliament, Rosi Steinberger.
« Unfortunately, these are often problems that have a significant impact on the well-being of the animals, » said Steinberger. « Overcrowding of the stables or drastic lack of hygiene is also an immense burden for the animals. » Even the minimum requirements are often not met.
And these are often not enough for really animal-friendly husbandry. « With such rare checks and such a high rate of complaints, we have to assume that there are many animal welfare violations that have not yet been discovered, » said the Greens politician.
« Some farms might just need support from agricultural advice. » She accused the state government of « failure across the board » on this issue. « The figures show that the state government is hardly doing anything to ensure effective animal welfare controls.
We need significantly more staff in the responsible veterinary offices and precise data collection so that at least the Minimum requirements for animal welfare are met, » Steinberger demanded.
