Poultry Catching and Crating Welfare

The catching and crating of broiler chickens and spent hens before transport is one of the most acute welfare challenges in commercial poultry production, with millions experiencing rough handling daily.

Key Facts

Approximately 1 billion broiler chickens are caught and transported to slaughter in the UK annually
Manual catching involves grabbing birds by the legs and carrying multiple birds inverted
Mechanical harvesting machines cause fewer acute injuries but can increase stress
Fractures, dislocations, and haemorrhaging are common welfare indicators measured at slaughter
Pre-slaughter mortality during catching, transport, and lairage is used as a welfare KPI

Welfare Considerations

Catching and crating is a period of acute stress for poultry regardless of how well the birds have been kept during rearing. Inverting birds causes fear, muscle fatigue, and cardiovascular stress. Rough handling causes bruising, fractures, and dislocations. Welfare improvements require investment in catcher training, monitoring of handling quality through post-mortem welfare indicators, and consideration of mechanical harvesting where appropriate. Reducing the time between catching and slaughter also reduces cumulative stress.

What You Can Do

Support poultry welfare schemes that include transport and pre-slaughter welfare standards
Ask supermarkets about their supplier standards for pre-slaughter handling
Support research into less stressful catching methods
Reduce or eliminate chicken consumption where welfare standards cannot be assured