Poultry Catching and Loading: Reducing Injury and Fear

The catching and loading of poultry for transport to slaughter is one of the most welfare-compromised moments in commercial poultry production, with high rates of injury and acute fear responses.

Key Facts

Manual catching of broiler chickens typically involves inversion and carrying by the legs, causing acute fear and potential injury
Wing fractures, bruising, and dislocations occur at rates of 1 to 5% during manual catching operations
Catching operations typically occur at night to reduce fear responses, but fear and injury still occur at significant rates
Mechanical harvesting systems using spinning fingers to move birds onto conveyors reduce some injuries but create different stresses
Controlled atmosphere stunning at the farm level is used by some producers to reduce catching stress before transport
Catching team skill and motivation significantly affects injury and fear rates during manual catching operations

Welfare Considerations

Poultry catching is a welfare bottleneck that concentrates months of accumulated welfare decisions into a brief, highly stressful period. Birds accustomed to floor housing are suddenly subjected to sudden movement, inversion, and restraint in ways completely foreign to their experience. The welfare cost is compounded by the scale: catching teams work rapidly through large flocks, creating conditions where individual bird welfare cannot be carefully monitored. Skill, attitude, and working conditions of catching teams are the primary determinants of welfare quality in manual catching. Mechanical systems reduce some physical injuries but may not reduce fear responses. Controlled atmosphere systems that stun birds before catching represent the most welfare-positive approach currently available, though implementation costs limit adoption. This area represents one where modest investment in training and equipment could yield significant welfare improvements.

What You Can Do

Support poultry welfare campaigns that specifically address catching and loading as a welfare priority
Choose poultry products from producers using controlled atmosphere stunning at the farm before catching
Advocate for mandatory training and welfare standards for commercial poultry catching teams
Ask poultry retailers about the catching methods and injury monitoring practices of their supply chains
Support research into mechanical catching systems that reduce both physical injury and fear responses in poultry