The catching and loading of broiler chickens before transport to slaughter is one of the highest-risk welfare points in poultry production. Improving catching methods can substantially reduce injury and suffering.
Catching and loading is a welfare crisis compressed into hours that undoes the relative stability of the growing period. Manual catching by the legs inflicts acute pain through dislocated joints and fractures. The chaos, noise, and handling stress of catching operations induces extreme fear responses in birds. Injuries sustained during catching become sources of ongoing pain during transport and at slaughter. Mechanical catching systems and improved manual techniques can substantially reduce injury rates, but adoption is limited without commercial incentive or regulatory pressure. Welfare auditing that includes inspection of caught birds for injury rates creates accountability for this phase of production that is otherwise largely invisible to consumers and certification programs.