The catching and loading of poultry for transport to slaughter is a highly stressful process that causes injuries and death for millions of birds annually.
Catching and transport to slaughter represents the final welfare challenge for farmed poultry. The process of catching — typically conducted at night when birds are less active, by workers catching four to six birds simultaneously by the leg and carrying them inverted — causes acute fear and physical injury. Wing fractures and dislocations occur when birds struggle during catching. The transition from the shed environment to crates, transport, and the lairage environment at the slaughterhouse adds further stress. Pre-slaughter mortality — birds dead on arrival — is a key welfare indicator that reflects the cumulative stress of this final phase.