• Germany edition
National
Photo: DPA

Live pigsty film provokes fury at 'animal hell'

Published: 23 Jan 13 06:07 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130123-47493.html

A German pig farmer who posted a web feed on Facebook with live updates from his pigsty was surprised to receive more than 1,000 outraged comments in just a few days from users shocked at the "animal hell" it showed.

Farmer Werner Schwarz said he was astounded by the furious reaction on Facebook after posting a link to live pictures of his pigsty in Schleswig Holstein.

The feed is hosted on the web page of the Schleswig Holstein Farmers' Association, of which Schwarz is president.

Refreshing every 20 seconds, the pictures show Schwarz's farrowing hut - where sows are kept for three weeks after giving birth to a litter of piglets.

The sows are kept in 'farrowing crates' - small, iron-bar bays with slatted floors, too narrow for them to turn around in, so that they can only stand, or lie down on their sides to feed their young.

Pictures from the overhead camera shows mothers separated from the piglets in the surrounding pen by metal bars.

Schwarz explains in the caption below the pictures that this is a measure taken to stop the sows accidently crushing their piglets to death when they lie down.

Although the arrangement is familiar to anyone with experience of livestock farming, it seems part of the wider German public had never dreamt such facilities existed - and became very upset when they saw the pictures.

All hell broke loose after the link appeared on the otherwise bucolic SH Farmers' Association's Facebook page.

"I keep staring at the pictures and just want to free the sows from these perverse cages… It's so unbelievably sad… All my tears are not enough," wrote user Natalie Pongracz.

The post then received more than 1,000 comments in just a few days, many from outraged users denouncing the "torture" of animals and calling for an end to intensive livestock farming.

"Animal hells like this only exist because there are many people eating a lot of meat," wrote Facebook user Stefanie Steindl.

"What's this supposed to be? Torture porn?" wrote user Markus Will.

"Wow, great cinema!" wrote user Sebastian Sievert sarcastically. "Just 21 days stuck without being able to move at all. And then after that back to a grandiose one metre square place on a slatted floor to be trapped in your own excrement and urine, without sunshine, straw and quality of life... until you die."

By Tuesday afternoon, less than two weeks after it was posted, the web feed Facebook post had received 1,200 comments, been shared 90 times and received 68 "Like" votes.

But although he was taken aback by the fierce reaction, Schwarz, who keeps 500 sows on his farm near Bad Oldesloe in northern Germany, said he was ultimately be glad of the attention.

He said he believed more people should be made aware of standard industrial livestock farming practices - which is why he decided in mid-January to post the web feed - in a drive for increased transparency.

"Consumers should see what we do here," told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper at the launch of the web feed on January 9th. "I believe we have nothing to hide. We're doing nothing illegal inside."

The Facebook discussion came as politicians mull a reform to animal protection laws, and just after 25,000 people took to the streets of Berlin at the weekend to demand an end to industrialised farming.

The Local/jlb

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

09:07 January 23, 2013 by Anny One again
Why all the negative comments?

It looks cleaner,as in my living room.

Schweinerei !!
09:35 January 23, 2013 by jg.
Sow stalls have been banned in the UK and Sweden for some time but an EU wide ban came into force from 1st January 2013. Does this mean that, as is already the case with the EU regulation banning cages for battery hens (came into force 1st Jan 2012 after a 13 year phase out period), Germany is not compliant?

It is hardly the hallmark of a good EU member to be routinely flouting so many EU regulations, particularly when member states have had over a decade to adjust to the new rules.
11:37 January 23, 2013 by yllusion
We want conscious farming and livestock production, but that alone will not solve the problem if people don't start eating less meat. Demand is the main driving force for this type of intensive farming.
11:50 January 23, 2013 by lucksi
How dare he destroy my vision of bacon ect coming from some magical place.
12:25 January 23, 2013 by michael4096
@jg. - a couple of corrections

Sow Stalls or Farrowing Crates are outlawed in both countries and by EU directive. Sows must be kept in social groups and free to move. These devices are allowed in both countries and by EU directive from a few days before birth to a couple of weeks after for protection of the piglets because being squashed by mum is their single biggest danger at that age. Defra, the UK government department admits that it isn't a great solution but doesn't have a better idea.

Classic battery cages for hens have been outlawed in Germany since 2007 and enriched cages since 2009 - while the UK was embarrassed by news that the old sort were still in use in the UK by a few farms in 2012. The EU has found the following countries are failing to deal with the battery hen problem: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. Perhaps, you are confused by "kleingruppenhaltung (small group cages)" which are permitted by the EU but not a great solution and the Germans have promised they will be all gone by 2020 - however, they are still ahead of the pack.

Generally, Germany and the UK tend to agree on animal welfare. It is human welfare where the disagreements begin.
12:34 January 23, 2013 by ichbines
The farmer should be made to lie in such a thing for three weeks!

People do not understand that vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans provide ALL the protein the human body needs.

And if you taste meat and really pay attention to how it tastes, its BORING. Much more boring than everything else. Why do McDonalds load their burgers with tons of sugar, salt and other things? Because they would not sell otherwise.
12:46 January 23, 2013 by raandy
The more pictures I see like this and recently how poultry is treated and beating steers and cows to make them walk to slaughter for those tasty Big Macs makes me more inclined to remove meat from my diet.
13:29 January 23, 2013 by JWS
We raise our own pigs and the pork if of much better quality than factory raised pork.

If you demand low prices, farms will turn into factories. If we buy from small farmers who use methods that you are comfortable with we will all eat better, be healthier and there will will be many more jobs for farmers.
15:47 January 23, 2013 by Bulldawg82
@ JWS

Absolutely. For those of us who will not give up meat, this is the best option.

Vegetarian is Native American for "Bad Hunter". :^D
15:47 January 23, 2013 by mesca
#6, bad meat is boring. Meat produced at a smaller scale and coming from hunting is often delicious.

Good for you if you can find everything you need in vegetables and the rest of what you describe, but I can't. You live in a cartoon world if you think Popeye finds all his iron in spinach.
13:10 January 24, 2013 by ichbines
I am not suggesting people become vegetarians but humans can definitely sustain and in fact live longer lives when they eat less meat. There is tons of information on the internet that support this. Humans can easily get by on just a few small servings of meat a week. Just take a look at our biological closest relatives, chimps and gorillas, very strong muscular healthy (when living wild) beasts whose diets consist of about 1/2 fruit, about 2 % meat and the rest nuts and green vegetation. And vegetarians do not die of iron deficiency and very few even get sick because of it. If we followed the 5 to survive philosophy, we would not even be able to eat the amount of meat that we over consume, because fruits and vegetables do satisfy because it is what we are supposed to be eating. We eat tons of meat because it leaves us hungrier
15:05 January 24, 2013 by sonriete
Men eat meat so they can be strong as an ox, but forget that the oxen are all vegetarian .
11:58 January 25, 2013 by Firmino
This is an awful way to treat animals. And how naive was that guy thinking that people wouldn't mind this?
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Photo: DPA

Hollande praises tough German reforms

French President Francois Hollande, attending the 150th anniversary celebrations of Germany's Social Democratic Party on Thursday, praised the unpopular welfare and labour reforms by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Keep your socks on – autumn is in the air

Much of Germany is heading for an autumnal weekend, with chilly temperatures an at times significant rainfall – just as May draws to an end and socks should be heading for the back of the drawer. Some areas will even see snow and frost. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Brewers: 'No fracking with our German beer'

A group of brewers has raised alarm that so-called 'fracking' for natural gas could jeopardize the legendary purity of German beer by contaminating the country's water supplies. READ () »

The Local List
Photo: DPA

Ten German body parts

The German language has some rather colourful terms for describing parts of the human body. Turn to The Local List this week for a few anatomical alternatives. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt

Healthy dogs have wet noses, but cold and creamy canine noses may be a sign that they've been treated to a doggy frozen yoghurt made in Berlin. Rather than chocolate or pistachio, flavours include salmon and beef. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Germany tops world popularity poll

Germany is the most popular country in the world, according to a poll released on Tuesday asking people to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Dortmund's Götze ruled out of Wembley final

A hamstring injury has ruled Borussia Dortmund's Germany midfield star Mario Götze out of Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley against Bayern Munich – the club he will join next month after activating a release clause in his contract. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Grey seals return to German Baltic shores

The small population of grey seals on the Baltic Sea has increased significantly, with hopes rising that they may start breeding soon, conservationists reported on Wednesday. READ () »

More National
RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
Highlights
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
New in German cinemas: 'Fast & Furious 6'
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
The Germans have a particular phobia – they live in constant fear of being blamed for something. A commentary by Der Tagesspiegel's Malte Lehming.
Photo: Private
LIFESTYLE »
In the latest installment of My German Career, The Local spoke with New Zealander physicist Graham Appleby about life in Germany's scientific community.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
20,000 Goths gather in Leipzig
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Harmless pink fun or a bad influence on young girls? A life-size Barbie dream house attraction opened in Berlin to protests including a topless woman burning a doll in effigy.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act. Our German of the Week is Tina K., who, after her brother was beaten to death, has been campaigning for an end to street violence in Berlin.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
The Local List: Ten German words with double meanings
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Conflict is part of the fabric of Berlin, but the city's "Peacemaker" soothes things over. Jessica Ware tracked him down for a chat.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
It might be politically toxic, but it's time to hit the brakes on Germany's reckless driving culture, argues The Local's Ben Knight.
Photo: M&S
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Move over Berlin: why London is Germany's new fashion capital
Photo: Private
OPINION »
For this edition of My German Career, former US military man turned armed guard Keith Alban talks about leaving home in search of a better quality of life.
Photo: Katie Needs
SOCIETY »
Offseason, Germany's largest island Rügen might not top many peoples' list of dream holidays. But as The Local discovered, its quiet beauty makes it worth a trip to escape city bustle.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Confused about the hundreds of euros missing from your pay packet? Don't panic - the latest in The Local's JobTalk series looks at German social security payments.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Is that your Handy ringing? This week's Local List takes a look at 12 misused English words in German.
Photo: A Peoples' Picture
LIFESTYLE »
An American is stirring up creative spontaneity in Dresden by leaving disposable cameras around for strangers' use, before collecting them and displaying the results online.
Photo: Private
LIFESTYLE »
After it was revealed that Angela Merkel had a Polish grandfather, Matthew Luxmoore set out to find where she could connect to her roots in Berlin's sizable Polish community.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Why isn't everyone wearing Lederhosen? It's easy for foreigners to stereotype Germany, but this week's Local List is dedicated to debunking common myths.
Photo: Private
OPINION »
The last time Si Liberman saw Berlin, he was thousands of feet in the air on a US bombing raid over Nazi Germany. Nearly seven decades later, he returned to the city.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
What are the hidden rules of etiquette foreigners need to watch out for while doing business in Germany? The Local's JobTalk series has tips for keeping on the right side of your colleagues.
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
All of The Local's 'Germans of the Week' so far
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
Every town and city from The Local's My Germany series
Monster/jobpilot.de
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Eighty per cent of Germans apply for jobs online
Furniture Leasing Corporation
SPONSORED ARTICLE
The furniture-free way to relocate to Germany
Photo: Henrik Trygg/imagebank.sweden.se
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Top five reasons to enrol on an Executive MBA



Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Sweden

More news from Sweden at thelocal.se

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

948 jobs available
562 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
  • So You Want to Be an Artist
    The tradition of hands-on training in the arts is alive and well in Germany. Interested in studying visual, performance, or sound arts? Keen to pursue graphic and product design, textiles, or typography? Germany is home to many exceptional art schools as well as a rich history of excellence in and support for the arts.
  • Frankfurt's Skyscrapers: A Guide
    Frankfurt is known for banks and skyscrapers. So what is behind the colossal glass, steel, and stone facades of the city’s buildings? Meet Frankfurt’s tallest.
  • Conference - Pioneers on Dual Training Abroad
    Germany‘s system of dual training is one of the foundations of its economic strength.
  • The all-German final in Wembley
    Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are playing in the final of the Champions League at London’s Wembley Stadium.
  • German first feature film in Cannes
    A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur.
News from DeutschlandOnline

Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Little house in Spain
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Albatross Insurance
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.