Live poultry transport causes significant welfare harm through thermal stress, physical injury, and fear responses during catching, loading, and transportation, with evidence-based improvements available but underutilized.
Poultry transport welfare suffers from the combination of inherent stress from handling and environmental challenges with economic pressure to minimize transport costs at the expense of bird welfare. The catching phase, during which birds are grabbed and packed into crates, causes fear, injury, and physiological stress that compounds the welfare burden of slaughter. Reducing transport distance, improving catching technique, and ensuring vehicle ventilation and temperature control are welfare improvements with demonstrable effects on mortality and injury rates. Consumer preference for locally produced poultry creates indirect economic incentives for shorter, less stressful transport chains.