Again, the Federal Council has moved to the cages, the rules for wider Sows. Now animal rights activists demand to enforce the prohibition of close frames.

How much space should a Sow and her piglets have at least photo: Fritz Rupenkamp/imago

BERLIN taz | The German animal protection Association does not want a Reform of the rules for sows-cages to wait. "Our patience is at an end. We are now calling for the immediate enforcement of existing Law,“ said Association President Thomas Schröder.

At a Meeting on Tuesday had agreed that the Federal government and the Länder on the Reform of the rules for sows-cages, the adoption of the regulations in the Federal Council was again postponed. In accordance with the applicable regulation, the most are, "box stalls" mentioned cages is currently illegal, because they are so tight that in them, the pigs can't stretch your legs in the Lie.

Since the Amtsveterinäre had left the stables for 30 years, unopposed, would have to the Federation and the Länder pay the farmers compensation, and demanded that Schröder. "The peasant billion as support to the implementation of the fertilisers regulation was included in the budget Yes no Problem. In the same order of magnitude of money for a pet-friendly retrofitting of the stables should be in the here and now is also feasible“, so the animal rights activists.

the Federal government and the Länder have reached on Tuesday, no agreement, reported in the journal top agrar. Next week, the Federal Council will cases, therefore, no decision on the livestock regulation. Of the previously targeted date at 13. March is on the 15th. May have been moved, wrote to the magazine appealing to groups of Participants. There are still further questions, it said. In mid-February, the Federal Council had postponed the vote on the livestock regulation due to differences in particular for the Sows in the short term.

cages should, in future, want wider> be

The 1.8 million sows in Germany are mostly held for months in metal racks, which are only about as big as the pig. It can't turn around and slowly lay down. This has the advantage that the young are not crushed so easily. In addition, the Box facilitates the staff in the Overview, for example, what are the Sow is inseminated. The metal frame also saves space, because outside of the cage more freedom of movement is required.

animal rights activists criticise, however, that the case stands often caused ulcers in the shoulder and hip area. It is cruelty to animals, which keep sows without contact to conspecifics, and without possibilities to go around, your sightseeing drive to live or to wallow. If sows have enough room, would a box-stand not be crushed significantly more piglets.

The animal welfare livestock husbandry Ordinance allows box stands for a limited period of time. But since 1992, is mandatory according to the regulation, that "every pig to freely stand up, lie down, and the head and in the lateral position, the limbs can stretch out".

The higher administrative court of Saxony-Anhalt, demanded therefore, in 2015, that the Box was either at least as wide as the pig is high or must allow to put the limbs without disability in the empty adjacent cages. The Federal administrative court confirmed 2016, the judgment of Saxony-Anhalt.

case stands as the court demanded, "are hardly to be found," admits the Ministry of agriculture in the explanatory statement of its draft Regulation. "Practice box stalls with a width of 65 cm (gilts) or 70 cm (sows) and a length of 200 cm, whereas in regional, to a varying extent also in smaller box stalls spread can be." The average Sow has but according to scientists, a body height of 90 cm. Accordingly, the stand be as wide would the Box.

Klöckners Ministry informed the taz to request that the draft regulation would improve animal welfare significantly. Finally, the fixation times were significantly shortened, and the box stands increased. A shorter transition would be periods of "just for small businesses it is not feasible to make without you in order to unsolvable financial difficulties," the Ministry said. "It is important to keep production in Germany and to avoid further structural breaks – because it is only in Germany, we have a concrete influence on the conditions for farming and thus animal welfare."

The case stands, would in the future be so broad that "the animals to stand up normally and lie down, as well as in the lateral position can be." You should not be so broad that the sows to turn around, and it can hurt.