Veterinary chief confirms 150 pigs suffocated at farm last year

Christina Riedl, Lower Austria’s chief veterinary officer, has confirmed to ORF that 150 pigs suffocated at the same pig-farming operation in the Amstetten district in 2025 after a ventilation failure.

The earlier deaths came to light after neighbours complained in mid-July about the smell of decomposition from the farm. Authorities then found around 400 dead pigs, some of them already decomposing, as well as a shortfall of about 1,000 animals. Investigators suspect the pigs may have eaten one another.

The Association Against Animal Factories said the 150 pigs had already suffocated at the farm the previous year. A statement from the office of Lower Austria’s state councillor responsible for animal protection, Susanne Rosenkranz, said the operation had been inspected regularly until December 2025.

“Yes, that is correct,” Riedl said in an interview with ORF’s NÖ heute programme. A ventilation failure or other technical defect could happen even at a well-run operation, she said.

In such cases, the incident must be reported to the authorities, which then check whether the ventilation system is working again and what measures the farm has taken to prevent a repeat, Riedl said. She stressed that livestock owners remained responsible for their animals.

Riedl described the current case as “extremely distressing”. The farm was closed immediately, she said, adding that rapid intervention in such cases was one of the duties of official veterinarians. They were also responsible for taking preventive action to identify such situations earlier where possible.

Veterinary authorities carry out about 6,000 inspections at farms in Lower Austria each year, according to Riedl. An annual inspection plan determines the general schedule.

Larger farms, farms keeping several types of animals and operations with previous irregularities are inspected more frequently on a random basis, she said. Authorities also carry out inspections when there is a specific suspicion, requiring an official veterinarian to visit promptly.

Riedl urged farmers who felt overwhelmed or unable to cope to seek help early. Farmers could contact the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, she said.

The chamber said the current case was the subject of ongoing official investigations and that breaches of animal-husbandry rules must be punished under the law. As the representative body for farmers, it called the conditions “absolutely unacceptable” and said they did not reflect the conscientious work of other pig farms.

The chamber also referred to support services for farmers facing excessive work pressure. These include the Farmers’ Helpline at 0810 676810, which provides access to psychosocially trained staff, and the Lebensqualität Bauernhof counselling service.