Poultry Catching Welfare: The Hidden Harvest Stress

The catching and loading of poultry before transport to slaughter is a high-welfare-risk operation causing injury, stress, and significant mortality.

Key Facts

Broiler catching is performed at night and involves teams of workers catching and crating birds
Manual catching causes bruising, dislocations, and fractures from rough handling
Mechanical catching harvesters cause less mortality than manual catching in some studies
Catching and loading mortality can be significant, especially in hot weather
Birds are denied feed and water for 8-12 hours before slaughter for food safety reasons

Welfare Considerations

Broilers caught manually experience acute fear and pain from rough handling, with dislocated hips, broken wings, and internal haemorrhage common in poorly managed operations. Heat stress during catching and crating in summer causes significant mortality before transport begins. Prolonged feed and water withdrawal causes hunger and thirst stress before slaughter. Transport following catching adds additional stress and mortality. The catching phase is typically the least monitored part of the poultry supply chain despite its high welfare risk.

What You Can Do

Advocate for welfare monitoring requirements during poultry catching and loading
Support adoption of mechanical catching technology with strong welfare evidence
Choose poultry certified to standards that include catching and transport welfare requirements
Donate to organisations monitoring poultry catching welfare
Raise awareness about the hidden welfare risks in poultry harvest operations