Poultry Pre-Slaughter Catching: Stress and Injury Reduction

The catching of broiler chickens before slaughter is one of the most stressful and injury-prone phases of production, with significant welfare implications.

Key Facts

Catching broiler chickens for transport typically occurs in darkness to reduce movement, but remains highly stressful
Manual catching causes fractures, dislocations and haemorrhage — injury rates of 3-7% are common in poorly managed operations
Catchers handle 1,000-2,000 birds per hour, creating pressure to work quickly at the expense of welfare
Mechanical catching machines reduce some injuries but can cause other welfare harms if poorly calibrated
Inverted carrying causes pain and distress from joint stress and impaired circulation
Low-light catching systems and trained catchers using breast-carrying technique significantly reduce injuries

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter catching represents a brief but intense period of welfare compromise for billions of broiler chickens annually. The combination of physical handling, novel stimuli and injury risk makes this a priority welfare intervention point. Welfare auditing of catching operations, investment in proper training and adoption of gentler mechanical systems where appropriate can substantially reduce suffering at this critical stage.

What You Can Do

Support broiler producers with independently audited pre-slaughter handling standards
Advocate for mandatory catching team training requirements in animal welfare regulations
Encourage welfare labelling that includes transportation and pre-slaughter handling criteria
Support research into optimal mechanical catching technologies and protocols
Ask food companies about their supplier standards for broiler catching and transport