Be kind to animals!
With “Fair zum Tier!”, we are committed to higher animal welfare standards and greater transparency in conventional animal husbandry, since this still accounts for the majority of common farming practices. Every small change in this area is therefore an important step in the right direction.
Austria has strict animal welfare laws that define the requirements for species-appropriate care of farm animals. The “Fair zum Tier!” program certifies higher animal welfare standards in conventional livestock farming that exceed legal requirements.
Our General "Fair to Animals!" Criteria
100% from Austrian farms
More space and freedom of movement in accordance with legal requirements
Free-range in a free-range pen, outdoor area, sunroom, or pasture—depending on the season and type of animal
Ban on fully slatted floors and tethered housing
100% GMO-free animal feed from Europe
Laying hens
For laying hens, “Fair to Animals!” means a coop with more space and access to an outdoor run in the open air. Inside the coop, there are raised perches and nests lined with natural bedding. The hens’ outdoor run is equipped with sand baths, as well as shrubs and trees that provide shade. In case of inclement weather, the birds can use a winter garden. When it comes to feeding, emphasis is placed on GMO-free feed. The hens live on farms in Lower Austria and Styria. The number of hens per coop is limited to a maximum of 3,000 birds. The brothers (male chicks) of the hens are also taken into account by “Fair zum Tier!” They are raised in a separate rooster rearing facility.
Dairy cows
For dairy cows, “Fair zum Tier!” mandates a ban on tethered housing. The cows live on farms in Salzburg and are kept in free-stall barns. They have access to pasture for at least 120 days a year or to an outdoor area for 365 days a year. To ensure greater comfort in the barn, the cows have access to bedded-down resting areas and scratching brushes for grooming. Species-appropriate feeding with high-fiber roughage such as grasses and hay supports natural feeding behavior and contributes to the animals’ well-being. The dairy cows are fed mainly fresh grasses and hay. GMO-free, mineral-rich grain meal is fed only in limited quantities. Fermented feed (silage) is prohibited. If dehorning (removal of a calf’s horn buds) is necessary, it may only be performed with anesthesia, pain relief, and additional post-procedure pain management. The animals live exclusively on Austrian farms and are also milked there.
MEHRwohl Chicken
All “Fair zum Tier!” broiler chickens are raised on local farms. There, the chickens have about 20 percent more space than required by law. The number of birds is also limited to a maximum of 15 per square meter. Straw bales distributed throughout the coop serve as enrichment material or can be used by the broiler chickens as elevated resting spots. Thanks to mandatory window space in the coops, “Fair zum Tier!” broiler chickens have natural light in their living quarters. For feeding, only non-GMO feed from Europe is used, without exception.
STROHwohl Pig
“Fair to Animals!” Pigs may not be kept on fully slatted floors; instead, they are housed in a free-range pen with 100 percent more space than required by law. The pigs have access to the outdoors, and enrichment materials are provided. Lying areas strewn with straw positively support the animals’ comfort-seeking behavior. Furthermore, procedures performed on piglets, such as castration, may not be carried out without prior anesthesia, pain relief, and post-procedural pain management. Tail docking (removal) and the trimming of canine teeth are prohibited. The pigs are fed Austrian, non-GMO feed, most of which comes from the pig farms themselves. The “Fair zum Tier!” pigs live on farms in Austria.
ALMO Beef
Our “Fair zum Tier!” cattle are guaranteed daily access to pasture or alpine pastures for at least 200 days during the growing season. In winter, they have spacious free-range barns. Tethering and fully slatted floors are prohibited. All feed ingredients are certified GMO-free, as stipulated in the “Fair zum Tier!” guidelines. At least 75% of the structured roughage comes directly from the farm itself or from the immediate region.
SONNwohl Turkeys
Our “Fair zum Tier!” turkeys have more space thanks to a mandatory winter run. The structured floor-rearing system provides access at all times to a litter-covered outdoor scratching area (winter run), which increases the usable coop area by 25%. In the EU, 70 kg of live weight per square meter is standard practice; for our animals, the limit is only 40 kg per square meter. More space means greater freedom of movement, which has a positive effect on the animals’ health. Raised resting platforms in the barn allow the animals to rest in a manner appropriate to their species. Straw bales serve as useful enrichment material and are used for pecking and scratching. The feed is 100% GMO-free.
Requirements for Using the “Fair to Animals!” Seal
Frequently Asked Questions
Our goal is to promote long-term, measurable improvements in animal husbandry. The “Fair zum Tier!” animal welfare seal identifies products that meet higher animal welfare standards than those required by law. This will make it even easier for our customers to recognize products from species-appropriate, conventional animal husbandry.
“Fair zum Tier!” products are available exclusively at BILLA PLUS, BILLA, and ADEG.
The “Fair zum Tier!” seal identifies private-label products from conventional livestock farming that meet higher animal welfare standards. The following product groups in the self-service section are marked with the “Fair zum Tier!” seal: Eggs from “Tonis Freilandeier” / Milk and dairy products from “BILLA Heumilch” / “Fair zum Tier! MEHRwohl Chicken” / “Hofstädter Fair zum Tier!” chicken, pork, and sausage. At the service counter: meat from “Fair zum Tier! STROHwohl-Schwein” / “Fair zum Tier! ALMO” / “Fair zum Tier! SONNwohl-Pute” / “Fair zum Tier! MEHRwohl-Huhn.”
The “Fair zum Tier!” criteria establish an animal welfare standard that exceeds legal requirements. The criteria cover the animals’ origin (Austria), feeding (species-appropriate and GMO-free), housing conditions (e.g., space allowance, design of barns and outdoor areas, enrichment materials, bedding), and procedures performed on the animals (prohibitions on certain procedures/regulations for pain management). In addition, the “Fair zum Tier!” guidelines stipulate that animals must always be transported to the nearest suitable slaughterhouse. For pigs, transport times are kept under 4 hours. For chickens, the maximum transport time is 5 hours.
The “Fair zum Tier!” criteria are based on the AMA Animal Welfare+ program and use its requirements as a foundation. However, the “Fair zum Tier!” standards deliberately go beyond these guidelines; they are established by internal departments and create additional value for animal welfare.
The AMA seal of quality certifies that the animals are of Austrian origin. Since the Fair-zum-Tier! program is based on the AMA seal of quality, this ensures that all animals were born, raised, and slaughtered in Austria.
Animal feeding is governed by the applicable “Fair zum Tier!” guidelines. These guidelines clearly specify how feed rations must be composed. On this basis, species-appropriate feeding for the respective animal categories is ensured and documented accordingly. All animals in the “Fair zum Tier!” program must be fed a species-appropriate, GMO-free diet. Feed that cannot be produced on the farm itself and must be purchased must be GMO-free, sourced from Europe, and comply with the AMA Feed Guidelines (including pastus+ certification).
All “Fair zum Tier!” farms are inspected at regular intervals (at least once a year) by independent, accredited inspection agencies.