The catching and loading of broiler chickens before transport to slaughter is one of the highest welfare-risk points in the poultry supply chain, causing acute injury and distress to millions of birds daily.
Catching chickens for transport is intensely stressful: birds are grabbed by their legs, carried inverted in bunches, and loaded into crates in rapid succession by catching crews working under time pressure. Dislocations, broken bones, and haemorrhage are common consequences. Dark-house catching reduces flight responses but does not eliminate injury. Mechanical harvesting systems can reduce injury rates if properly calibrated and maintained. During transport, temperature management is critical — birds are endothermic but cannot regulate body temperature effectively under transport density and stress. Ventilation, journey time limits, and thermal monitoring all directly affect welfare outcomes. Slaughterhouse arrival handling is the final welfare intervention before slaughter and requires careful management of crate unloading, stunning, and emergency killing.