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all the information you need about meat product labelling

The five Haltungsform levels:

One look, one touch: that's all it should take to make a conscious decision at the meat shelf. With a growing number of labels that provide information about how the animals are kept, this is sometimes not so easy. The five-stage standardised farming method labelling provides a remedy here: the food labelling on meat products can be found at almost all retailers - whether supermarkets or discounters. The labelling provides orientation and provides transparent and reliable information about the conditions under which the animals are kept.

There are different criteria behind each of the four tiers. You can find out more about them HERE can inform themselves. Based on the categorisation from 1 to 5, the type of Haltungsform indicates the degree of animal welfare - from level 1 stable husbandry to level 5 organic. This makes it easier for you as a consumer to understand the conditions under which the animals were kept and to decide which product ends up in your shopping basket. You can find out which animal welfare seals are already included in the label overview HERE .

Download the levels of Haltungsform HERE .

Last updated: July 2024

Participants

Participants from the food retail and gastronomy sectors are:

» Pigs

Space requirements: Minimum area required by law: e.g.: for 50-110 kg 0.75 m²/animal
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material with a high crude fibre content; at least moving chains combined with changeable material, e.g. soft wood

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 39 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Dry bedding suitable for pecking, scratching and dust bathing

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 58 kg/m² cocks, max. 52 kg/m² hens
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Dry bedding suitable for pecking, scratching and dust bathing

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: Minimum area per animal: up to 150 kg minimum area; 1.5 m²/animal; up to 220 kg 1.7 m²; up to 400 kg 1.8 m²; over 400 kg 2.2 m²
Housing: Stable housing; loose housing if possible; tethering

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Playpen with cubicles: animal to cubicle ratio 1:1
Housing: Stable housing; preferably loose housing or combined housing

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m²
Housing: Stabling; systematic surgical interventions on the animal, such as shortening beaks or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Usable floor area: 1st to 4th animal: 1,500 cm²/animal; 5th to 10th animal: 1,000 cm²/animal; 11th to 24th animal: 850 cm²/animal; from 25th animal: 700 cm²/animal; in addition, a raised level must be available: at least 300 cm²/animal
Housing: Stable/cage housing; minimum usable floor area: legal minimum standard of 8000 cm² per housing facility

» Pigs

Space requirements: Minimum area 10 % more space than required by law e.g.: for 50-110 kg 0.825 m²/animal
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Organic manipulable material with a high crude fibre content; at least moving chains combined with changeable material, e.g. soft wood

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 35 kg/m²
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Additional activity material made of changeable and consumable material, e.g. straw, picking stones. At least one item per 150 m² or part thereof

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 53 kg/m² cocks, max. 48 kg/m² hens (at least 10 % more space)
Housing: Indoor
Enrichment: Additional activity material made of changeable and consumable material, e.g. straw, picking stones. At least 1 item per 400 m² or part thereof

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: Minimum area per animal: up to 150 kg minimum area; 1.5 m²/animal; up to 220 kg 1.8 m²; up to 400 kg 2.5 m²; over 400 kg 3m²
Housing: loose housing or for steers and heifers: combined housing with grazing (at least 120 days at 2 hours each) or with a free-range yard or exercise pen with at least 4.5 m² per animal. The exercise area must consist of at least 16 m² of contiguous area. For bulls: no tethering

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Free stall with cubicles: animal to cubicle ratio 1:1 or free stall without cubicles: over 350 kg LG minimum area 4 m2/animal (cubicle and walking area)
Housing: loose housing or combined housing with grazing (at least 120 days at 2 hours each) or with exercise yard or exercise pen with at least 4.5 m² per animal. The exercise area must consist of at least 16 m² of contiguous area.

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m²
Housing: Stable housing; with daylight (window or light entry strip min. 3% of the stable floor area); systematic surgical interventions on the animal, such as shortening beaks or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Usable floor area: 1st-4th animal: 1,650 cm²/animal; 5th-10th animal: 1,100 cm²/animal; 11th-24th animal: 935 cm²/animal; from 25th animal: 700 cm²/animal; In addition, a raised level must be available: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the raised level must not exceed 40% of the usable floor area.
Housing: Group housing; group size at least 10 rabbits; pen open at the top, no wire floors; at least 2 consecutive hops must be possible. Therefore, one side should be at least 1.8 m long if possible. Min. 5% daylight incidence (in relation to the floor area of the hutch) for new buildings (= buildings approved or put into use after 11 August 2014)

» Pigs

Space requirements: Minimum area 40 % more space than required by law; e.g.: for 50-110 kg 1.05 m²/animal Housing: Indoor with contact to the outdoor climate; at least open-front pens Enrichment: Organic, crude fibre-rich material for use in addition to straw (as bedding or roughage) or comparable material

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 25 kg/m², or max. 29 kg/m² for a barn with cold coulter room Housing: Indoor with permanent access to outdoor area Enrichment: Additional activity material made of changeable and consumable material, e.g. straw, pecking stones. At least 2 items per 150 m² or part thereof or at least 3 straw or hay bales per 2000 animals and 1 picking item per 1000 animals

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 41 kg/m² cocks, max. 37 kg/m² hens (at least 30 % more space) Housing: Indoor with permanent access to the outdoor climate Enrichment: Additional activity material made of changeable and consumable material, e.g. straw, pecking stones. At least 2 objects per 400m² or part thereof or at least 3 straw or hay bales per 2,000 animals and 1 picking object per 1,000 animals.

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: Minimum area per animal: up to 150 kg minimum area; 1.5 m²/animal; up to 220 kg 2 m²; up to 400 kg 3 m²; over 400 kg 4m² Housing: loose housing with year-round usable exercise yard (at least 3 m²/animal in the exercise yard) or loose housing with grazing (at least 120 days / 6 h) or open-front loose housing; no tethering

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Free stall with cubicles: animal to cubicle ratio 1:1 or free stall without cubicles over 350 kg LG minimum area 5 m2/animal (lying and walking area) or 1,000 m² pasture area/animal Housing: loose housing with year-round usable exercise yard (at least 3 m² per animal in the exercise yard) or open-front loose housing or loose housing with grazing (at least 120 days at 6 h each) no tethering

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m² or 25 kg/m² barn floor area if there is permanent access to open spaces Housing: Open-fronted barn or barn housing with permanent access to winter garden or open areas, for the entire fattening period; the open area must be at least half of the barn area with a barn area of 25 kg/m². Systematic surgical interventions on the animal, such as shortening beaks or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Usable floor area: 1st-4th animal: 2,100 cm²/animal; 5th-10th animal: 1,400 cm²/animal; 11th-24th animal: 1,190 cm²/animal; from 25th animal: 980 cm²/animal; In addition, there must be a raised level: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the raised level must not exceed 40% of the usable floor area. Housing: Group housing with outdoor climate, e.g.: Winter garden, run; open front; group size at least 20 rabbits; pen open at the top, no wire floors; at least 2 consecutive hopping jumps must be possible. Therefore, one side should be at least 1.8 metres long if possible. Minimum littered area: 0.05 m²/animal; Structured environment with feeding, resting and lounge areas; Suitable hiding places (tubes/caves)

» Pigs

Space requirements: Minimum area 100 % more space than required by law e.g.: for 50-110 kg 1.5 m²/animal Housing: Indoor with permanent access to open-air runs or free-range Enrichment: Organic material: straw or comparable substrates

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m² Housing: Stable housing with access to outdoor areas for at least 1/3 of their lifetime. The area must be predominantly overgrown. Structural elements must provide shelter for the animals. Enrichment: Bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m² (at least 60 % more space) Housing: Stable housing with access to outdoor areas for at least 1/3 of their lifetime. The area must be predominantly overgrown. Structural elements must provide shelter for the animals. Enrichment: Bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: Minimum area per animal: up to 150 kg minimum area 1.5 m²/animal; up to 220 kg 2.5 m²; up to 400 kg 4 m²; over 400 kg 5m² but at least 1m²/100 kg Housing: loose housing with permanent access to outdoor runs: exercise yard (at least 3m²/animal) or pasture; no tethering

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Free stall with cubicles: animal to cubicle ratio 1:1 or free stall without cubicles: over 350 kg LG minimum area 6 m2/animal (cubicle and walking area) Housing: loose housing with year-round usable exercise yard (at least 3 m²/animal in the exercise yard) and access to pasture (at least 120 days of 6 hours each); no tethering

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 20 kg/m² Housing: Indoor with access to outdoor areas for at least half of their life; The outdoor areas must be mostly vegetated; 2 m² of green space/animal; Systematic surgical interventions on the animals, such as the shortening of bills or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Usable floor area: 1st-4th animal: 3,000 cm²/animal; 5th-10th animal: 2,000 cm²/animal; 11th-24th animal: 1,700 cm²/animal; from 25th animal: 1,400 cm²/animal; In addition, a raised level must be available: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the raised level must not exceed 40% of the usable floor area. Housing: Group housing with permanent access to outdoor run/pasture or free-range housing; group size at least 20 rabbits; pen open at the top, no wire floors; the outdoor area in facilities with fixed hutches must be constructed in such a way that a sufficient number of raised platforms are evenly distributed over the minimum area. At least 50% of the total area in permanently available paved outdoor area or grazing area: 10 kg/m² and 2m² green run/animal; Year-round run/grazing area: max. 3.3 kg/m²; For grazing/free-range housing: Covered feeding stalls and nesting huts; Suitable hiding places (tubes/caves) At least 2 consecutive hopping jumps must be possible. Therefore, one side should be at least 1.8 metres long if possible

» Pigs

Space requirements: Minimum area 110 kg: 1.5 m²/animal in the barn and 1.2 m²/animal outside

Housing: Indoor with permanent access to open-air runs or free-range
Enrichment: Organic material: straw or comparable substrates; burrowing material in the run

» Chickens

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m²
Housing: Stable housing with access to the open air whenever the weather permits, during at least 1/3 of the animal's lifetime; at least 4 m² per animal (in fixed stables), 2.5 m² (in mobile stables) in the open air; the area must be predominantly overgrown; structural elements must provide shelter for the animals.
Enrichment: Bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» Turkeys

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m²; max. 2,500 turkeys in the barn
Housing: Stable housing with access to the open air for at least 1/3 of the animal's lifetime, whenever the weather permits. At least 10 m² per animal in the outdoor run. The area must be predominantly overgrown. Structural elements must provide shelter for the animals
Enrichment: Bedding in the form of straw, wood chips, sand or turf on at least 1/3 of the barn area

» steer / oxen, heifers, calves for fattening

Space requirements: Minimum area per animal: up to 100 kg 1.5 m²; up to 200 kg 2.5 m²; up to 350 kg 4 m²; over 350 kg 5 m², but at least 1 m²/100 kg
Housing: loose housing with outdoor run or pasture; no tethering

» Dairy Cows

Space requirements: Free stall with cubicles: animal to cubicle ratio 1:1 or free stall without cubicles: more than 350 kg LG; minimum area 6 m2/animal (cubicle and walking area)
Housing: loose housing and grazing (outdoor access) whenever conditions permit. No tethering

» Peking Ducks

Space requirements: max. 21 kg/m²
Housing: Stable housing with access to the open air for at least one third of the animal's lifetime; The area must be predominantly overgrown; At least 4.5 m² per animal in the run; Systematic surgical interventions on the animal, such as shortening beaks or claws, are not permitted

» Rabbits

Space requirements: Usable barn area/animal (without platforms): fixed barn: 2,000 cm², mobile barn: 1,500 cm²; in addition, a raised level must be available: at least 300 cm²/animal at a height of at least 27 cm. The total size of the raised level must not exceed 40% of the usable floor area.
Housing: Group housing with permanent access to exercise area/pasture Or free-range housing; Usable exercise area/animal (without platforms): Fixed hutch: 2,000 cm²; Mobile hutch: 4,000 cm²; Dry laying and resting areas, no perforated construction. Suitable hiding places (dark, tubes/caves); Raised level (indoors and outdoors)