At butcher Martin Mayr, the animal dies without stress and fear. With his slaughter trailer he drives around the Allgäu farms. At the same time, mobile slaughter comes at a price.
Baisweil – Dying without any fear. This is not possible in an animal transporter with over 30 animals. The journey from the farm to the slaughter is stressful for the animals. Butcher Martin Mayr is different. He comes to the animals and slaughters directly on the farm in familiar surroundings. In an interview with Merkur.de, the butcher explains why he chose this path.
Mobile slaughter since 2021: Start with high investment
Exactly two years ago, the 32-year-old opted for mobile slaughter. "We slaughtered for the first time in April 2021," he recalls. Martin Mayr has invested heavily in this business model. He and his cooperation partner Günztal-Weiderind invested almost 160,000 euros in start-up capital in the small company. Mayr bought a slaughter trailer and rented a butcher's shop with almost 70 square meters in Baisweil, in the Swabian district of Ostallgäu.
Butcher Martin Mayr comes to the animals and slaughters directly on the farm in familiar surroundings. © IG Schlachtung with respect
In mobile slaughter, the animals die without fear
"Without financial support and help with the funding application, the mammoth project would not have been possible," says Martin Mayr. But all the effort was worth it. Because above all, the goal of stress-free slaughter still stands for him today. People should value meat as a food and the living creature behind it more. "I want the animals to be able to die without fear."
The trained butcher himself worked for seven years at a large slaughterhouse. In 2018, he saw a report on mobile slaughter on Bayerischer Rundfunk. "With the slaughter on the farm, we can take away some of the suffering of the animal." Almost three years later, he ventured into self-employment.
A mobile slaughter unit
The MSE-200A mobile slaughter unit is about the size of a car trailer. As an EU-certified slaughterhouse, the mobile is a fully-fledged slaughterhouse. It consists of a 19 square meter closed work area with a bleeding tilting tableand hygiene devices as well as an extendable and retractable fixing module with feeding point.
Martin Mayr is on the road on about 70 farms. Sometimes once a month, sometimes once a year. To do this, he even travels as far as Senden. Otherwise, Upper and Lower Allgäu, Peiting and Schongau are among its regions. In addition to the farmer, there is always a resident official veterinarian. At the veterinary office, the butcher must submit an application in advance and make an appointment for slaughter. The entire process of a mobile farm slaughter is laid down by law.
0
Also Read
Driver can stop and get out "just in time": car is on fire on highway
READ
"Unsuitable as a role model": Youth welfare office removes climate glue from aldermen's list – despite years of commitment
READ
From Munich via the Inn Valley: Up to the Brenner Pass with 991 tonnes
READ
Bear falls into a photo trap near Traunstein: Is it the animal that tore sheep near Rosenheim?
READ
Esophagus burned – because Nuremberg woman gets a poisonous plant instead of wild garlic in the supermarket
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My Area
Martin Mayr brings the slaughterhouse to the animal
A few days before, Martin Mayr sets up a trapping stall with fodder on the farm. During this time, the animals can get used to the feeding fence. On the day of slaughter, the butcher brings a clean catch stand. Normally, the cattle goes into the trapping stall without help solely through the feed attraction. Then the neckband closes and the cow is fixed. In case of complications, the butcher cancels the action. Then, a few days later, he starts a new attempt.
Butcher Martin Mayr comes to the animals and slaughters directly on the farm in familiar surroundings. © IG Schlachtung with respect
If everything goes according to plan, Martin Mayr says goodbye to the fixed cow and stuns it with the bolt strike. He then pulls the cattle into the slaughterhouse and stabs it in the chest. In the trailer, the butcher bleeds the animal and drives it to his slaughter rooms in Beisweil or to an external slaughterhouse.
If there is enough capacity, the 32-year-old prefers to process the animal in his own halls. For this, it has a slaughter room, a cutting room and two cold rooms. Everything is recycled. The tanner picks up the skins. The beef fat is used to melt fat for bird feed. Hardly anything is thrown. Skull, brain and intestines alone.
On average, Mayr slaughters three to four cattle a week. That's good, but he can't make a living from it. Two days a week, he works part-time in an excavator company. This is unlikely to change in the near future. People would go on holiday more again and no longer invest so much money in good meat.
(By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from the Free State. Sign up here.)
Regionality, animal welfare and quality have their price
Martin Mayr would like to see a greater appreciation for animals and food. Regionality and animal welfare would have their price. In addition, there is the top quality. "The animal dies without stress and you can taste it," explains the butcher. No adrenaline rushes through the cattle in the last seconds before death. Sure, it affects the meat.
Butcher Martin Mayr comes to the animals and slaughters directly on the farm in familiar surroundings. © IG Schlachtung with respect
A kilo of roulades for 26.90 euros. In the mix package of beef, the most popular composition, everything is inside. In the summer season, people also like to buy the somewhat more elegant barbecue package. With fillet pieces and club steak, it's a bit more expensive. "Most of it goes to private individuals, but the expansion with the gastronomy is underway." With express shipping, he sometimes sends the meat all the way to Hamburg. In addition, the people of the Allgäu can also pick up their steak directly in Beisweil.
Martin Mayr knows that not everyone can afford it. Nevertheless, he is convinced of mobile slaughter. "The animals spend their whole lives on the farm. I think they have the right to die with dignity."
You can always read all the news from all over Bavaria with us. News and stories from Bavaria can now also be found on our brand new Facebook page Merkur Bayern.
