The welfare journey between farm and slaughterhouse
Approximately 70 billion broilers and 8 billion laying hens are transported to slaughter annually worldwide. The transport journey — loading, road transport, lairage, and unloading — represents one of the most welfare-concentrated periods in poultry production. Despite being relatively short (typically 2-4 hours), the combined stressors of catching, crating, transport movement, temperature extremes, and feed/water withdrawal cause measurable welfare harm.
Birds in transport containers have limited ability to thermoregulate. Their own body heat in densely packed containers can cause overheating even in moderate ambient temperatures. Ventilation in transport vehicles is the primary control mechanism. EU Regulation 1/2005 requires "adequate ventilation" but specific standards for poultry transport are insufficiently detailed. Real-time temperature monitoring in transport containers is rare but technically feasible.
Broiler transport containers (crates, modules) vary in welfare impact. Key parameters: container height (allowing birds to stand without neck compression), floor space per bird, ventilation area, and ease of loading/unloading. Research from the Netherlands and UK comparing container systems shows significant welfare differences. Elevated containers allowing better posture reduce injuries and DOA rates. The transition from manual crates to modular systems (multi-tier modules) requires careful evaluation for both loading and ventilation welfare.