The catching and loading of broiler chickens for transport to slaughter is one of the highest-risk welfare events in poultry production, with mechanical catching systems reducing injury substantially.
Broiler catching at harvest is a welfare-critical event that occurs at the end of every commercial broiler's life, affecting the majority of the world's most numerous farmed animals. The combination of unfamiliar human handling, physical restraint, and transport stress creates a welfare burden that catching method significantly determines. Rough manual handling causes acute pain from dislocations, fractures, and bruising that, while occurring near the end of life, represent real suffering. Mechanical catching reduces injury rates through more consistent and less forceful handling. Night catching in low light reduces the already high fear response of chickens to human presence. These improvements are technically available and their welfare impact is substantial given the scale of broilers processed globally each year.