Prosecutors charge farmer over deaths of 1,236 pigs

Prosecutors in St. Pölten have charged a 30-year-old farmer after 1,236 pigs died at his farm in the Amstetten district, ORF reported Tuesday. The charges allege he failed to provide the animals with enough food and water from January to July 2026, causing them unnecessary suffering.

The pigs are believed to have partly eaten one another, and only bones were found in some parts of the barn. The farmer is expected to face trial on animal cruelty charges, but the St. Pölten Regional Court has not set a date.

A veterinary report has been completed, but a psychiatric assessment is still pending. It is intended to establish whether the farmer was legally responsible for his actions. During questioning, he reportedly said mental health problems had left him unable to cope with the farm.

The case came to light in the summer after neighbours complained of a strong smell of decay from the farm. Police first went there but were not allowed inside. They returned the following week with a veterinary officer and found 400 dead or partly decomposed pigs. The 88 surviving animals were moved to nearby farms.

Investigators found a discrepancy of about 1,000 animals in the farm’s purchase and sales records, leading them to suspect cannibalism. The farmer had run the farm alone and did not live there. It was closed after the conditions were discovered.

Questions were also raised about why the problems had gone unnoticed for so long. The farm had previously come to the attention of authorities after 55 pigs suffocated because of a faulty ventilation system. The provincial veterinary authorities said there had been no further irregularities and rejected claims of official failure.