Poultry Welfare Transport Standards

The welfare challenges of transporting live poultry and standards for minimizing suffering in transit.

Key Facts

Poultry transport involves catching, crating, loading, transit, and livebird reception — each a welfare-significant step
Thermal stress is among the highest welfare risks in poultry transport, particularly in summer and winter extremes
Journey time regulations for poultry vary significantly between countries
Catching injury from manual or mechanical harvesting is a significant source of pre-transport welfare harm
Stunning on arrival at the processing plant must occur before birds experience further distress
Dead on arrival rates are a measurable welfare indicator for poultry transport operations

Welfare Considerations

Poultry transport involves millions of birds daily in welfare-compromising conditions that are often invisible to consumers. Catching from sheds, particularly at night, involves significant stress and injury risk. Transport in crates exposes birds to temperature extremes, noise, vibration, and deprivation of food and water. Dead on arrival rates — a readily measurable welfare indicator — remain unacceptably high in many operations, reflecting inadequate standards and enforcement. Welfare improvement in poultry transport requires attention to every stage from catching through to livebird reception, with measurable indicators at each step to drive accountability.

What You Can Do

Support poultry supply chain certification that includes transport welfare indicators including DOA rates
Advocate for mandatory journey time limits and thermal management standards in poultry transport
Encourage retailers to require transport welfare monitoring from their poultry suppliers
Support research into mechanical harvesting systems that reduce catching injury compared to manual methods
Raise awareness that poultry transport is a significant welfare event that occurs largely out of public view