Poultry Pre-Slaughter Welfare: Catching and Transport

The catching and transport of poultry before slaughter causes significant welfare harm that is often overlooked compared to slaughter itself.

Key Facts

Manual catching of broilers involves workers chasing and grabbing birds by legs — causing wing fractures in 2-4% of birds
Automated catching machines cause lower injury rates than manual catching in most comparative studies
Transport crates are often overloaded — density standards are inadequate for thermal comfort during summer transport
Transport duration affects mortality and welfare — long journeys increase stress, dehydration, and mortality
Catching is typically performed at night under dim lighting to reduce flight response and aggression
EU transport regulations limit journey times but enforcement is inconsistent across member states
Pre-slaughter mortality in poultry transport ranges from 0.1-0.5% — representing millions of birds globally

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter poultry welfare encompasses the full catching-transport-lairage journey that birds experience before slaughter. This period represents multiple sequential welfare insults — the distress of catching, the pain of handling injuries, the stress of transportation, and the unfamiliar environment of the lairage. Welfare improvements including automated catching, controlled atmosphere lairage, and reduced journey times are technically available but inconsistently implemented due to cost. Consumer certification schemes that include pre-slaughter welfare standards encourage supply chain investment in catching and transport welfare alongside slaughter method requirements.

What You Can Do

Support poultry welfare certification schemes that include pre-slaughter catching and transport standards
Advocate for mandatory journey time limits and temperature standards for poultry transport
Choose poultry from certified suppliers with demonstrated pre-slaughter welfare protocols
Support research into low-stress catching and handling methods for commercial poultry