Canada | Alberta | Bouvry’s Prime Feedlot | Horsemeat Import
Die Futtertröge sind den ganzen Tag voll.
Entzündete Brandzeichen.
Fohlen ausserhalb der Pferche, das auf schwachen Beinen steht.
Völlig durchnässte Jungpferde mit Nasenausfluss.
We return to Bouvry’s largest feedlot, the so-called Prime Feedlot, to check if conditions have improved since our visit in 2013. Feed trucks are continuously keeping the troughs filled. Most of the horses are very overweight and have been fattened for quite some time. Regarding the pen area, no improvement is noted since our last visit, there is still no shelter for any of the animals, the pens are muddy and covered in manure and many pens appear very crowded. There are approx. 100 to 200 horses in each pen, all soaking wet from the rain. Several of the younger horses have strong nasal discharge. One pen holds three mares and their foals. Some straw is visible, but it is soaked from the heavy rain. One of the foals is repeatedly coughing. In another pen, we note a horse with an overgrown hoof that is severely limping.
The horses have one to two numbers branded onto their right shoulder; many also have a U-shaped brand on their right hindquarter. Some of the more recent brands appear infected. In some cases the burn is quite severe and large, red wounds are visible.
We observe a young foal, lying down by itself outside the pen area. It has purulent eye discharge and is very weak on its legs once it gets up. The foal only moves very slowly as if walking was painful.
