Our commitment to animal welfare

Fair zum Tier

With the new animal welfare label "Fair zum Tier" (Fair to Animals), which applies to all trading companies, we label products with animal welfare standards that exceed the legal requirements. Our goals are to promote sustainable improvements in livestock farming and to provide consumers with a basis that makes it easier to recognise species-appropriate, conventional animal husbandry. Here are the criteria:

  • More space & movement for the animals

  • Species-appropriate stables with more comfort

  • GMO-free feeding

  • Species-appropriate employment practices

  • Access to daylight

  • Local farms

  • Short transport distances

  • Independent & regular checks

  • Advice from experts

Quality through expertise

A specially established expert advisory board ensures the professional quality and formulates recommendations for future developments of the programme. The advisory board comprises experts from the fields of animal welfare, animal husbandry, agriculture and veterinary medicine.

  • Laying hens

    For laying hens, Fair zum Tier means a barn with more space and access to a run in the field. There are raised roosting levels and nests with natural bedding in the barn. The hens' run is designed to have sand baths, shady bushes and trees. The animals can use a winter garden when the weather turns bad. When it comes to feeding, emphasis is placed on GMO-free feed from Austria. The hens live on farms in Lower Austria and Styria. The number of hens per barn is limited to a maximum of 3,000 birds. The brothers (male chicks) of the hens are also taken into account under Fair zum Tier. They are raised in their own rooster-rearing facility.

  • Dairy cows

    For dairy cows, Fair zum Tier has established a ban on tethering. The cows live on farms in Salzburg where they are kept in free stalls. They have at least 120 days/year of pasture or 365 days/year of exercise at their disposal. For more comfort in the barn, there are scattered lying areas for the cows and scratching brushes as rubbing options. Particular attention is paid to the species-appropriate feeding of the cows. The dairy cows mainly get fresh grasses and hay. GMO-free, mineral-rich grain meal is only fed in limited quantities. Fermented feed (silage) is prohibited. If dehorning (removal of the horn system from the calf) is necessary, this may only be carried out under anaesthesia, with analgesia and additional pain relief. The animals live exclusively on Austrian farms and are also milked there.

  • Broilers

    All Fair zum Tier broilers live on domestic farms. There, the chickens have about 20% more space available than is required by law. The stocking density of 25 kg per m² must not be exceeded. Likewise, the number of animals is limited to a maximum of 15 animals per m². Straw bales distributed in the barn serve as manipulable material or can be used by the broilers as an elevated resting place. As windows are mandatory, Fair zum Tier broilers have natural light in the barn. Without exception, GMO-free feed from Europe is used for feeding.

  • Fattening pigs

    Fair zum Tier fattening pigs must not be kept on fully slatted floors, but have a loose housing with 100 percent more space. The pigs have access to the outdoors and there is manipulable material for them to occupy themselves with. Bedding with straw positively supports the comfort of the animals. In addition, procedures on piglets, such as castration, must not be carried out without prior anaesthesia, analgesia and pain relief. Docking (removal) of the tail and shortening of the canine teeth are prohibited. The pigs are fed with Austrian, GMO-free feed, most of which comes from the pig farms themselves. The Fair zum Tier pigs live on farms in Austria.

  • Fattening cattle

    Our Fair zum Tier Cattle spend at least 200 days on domestic pastures. In winter, they have spacious loose housing. Tethering and fully slatted floors are prohibited. The animals are fed grassland-based and GMO-free feed. Fresh grass, hay and silage are on their daily menu.

  • Roosters

    Under Fair zum Tier, the brothers (roosters) of the laying hens are also raised. For roosters, Fair zum Tier means a barn with generous space and a run into the field. There are raised roosting levels and manipulable material in the barn. The roosters' run is designed to have sand baths, shady bushes and trees. The animals can use a winter garden when the weather turns bad. When it comes to feeding, emphasis is placed on GMO-free feed from Austria. The roosters live on farms in Upper Austria.

Frequently asked questions

  • Our aim is to drive forward sustainable improvements in livestock farming. The new “Fair zum Tier” animal welfare label identifies products with higher animal welfare standards that exceed the legal standard. This should make it even easier for our customers to recognise products from species-appropriate, conventional animal husbandry. 

  • „Fair zum Tier“ products are available exclusively at BILLA PLUS, BILLA, ADEG and PENNY. 

  • The "Fair zum Tier" seal is used to identify own-brand products with higher animal welfare standards from conventional animal husbandry. The following product groups are labelled with the Fair zum Tier seal: Eggs from "Tonis Freilandeier", milk and dairy products from "BILLA Heumilch", chicken meat from "efef Fair zum Tier", "Hofstädter Fair zum Tier" chicken, pork and sausage, and also meat at the service counter from "Fair zum Tier Strohwohl-Schwein" and "Fair zum Tier ALMO".

  • The "Fair zum Tier" criteria set a minimum animal welfare standard that is higher than the legal requirements. The criteria specify the origin of the animals (Austria), the feeding (appropriate to the species and GMO-free), the husbandry (e.g. space available, design of stall and exercise area, manipulable material, bedding) and interventions on the animal (prohibition of interventions/regulations on analgesia). Transport times are also kept as short as possible, and the animals are slaughtered regionally. For pigs, transport times of less than 4 hours are observed. For chickens, the transport time is a maximum of 5 hours. 

  • The criteria for the animal welfare programme "Fair to Animals" are based on scientifically founded standards. In addition, an expert advisory board has been set up. The advisory board serves to advise on the content and recommend future developments of the programme. The advisory board comprises experts from the fields of animal welfare, animal husbandry, agriculture and veterinary medicine.

  • With "Fair zum Tier", all animals must comply with AMA guidelines and be born/hatched, reared, fattened, slaughtered and processed in Austria. 

  • "Fair zum Tier" stipulates that all animals must be fed species-appropriate and GMO-free feed. Feed that cannot be produced by the farm itself and is bought in, must be GMO-free, from Europe and comply with the AMA Feed Directive (incl. pastus+ certified).

  • All "Fair zum Tier" farms are inspected at regular intervals by independent, accredited inspection bodies.