Poultry Catching and Loading Welfare

The catching and loading of chickens for transport to slaughter is one of the most acute welfare events in broiler chicken production, affecting billions of birds.

Key Facts

Billions of broiler chickens are manually caught and loaded onto transport vehicles annually
Catching involves grabbing chickens by legs and inverting them causing acute pain and fear
Breast blisters, wing fractures, and bruising from catching cause suffering and product defects
Automated catching machines exist and can reduce welfare harms compared to manual catching
Night-time catching reduces fear responses and is considered a welfare improvement

Welfare Considerations

Poultry catching is a high-intensity welfare event that occurs at the end of every broiler chicken life. Manual catching — grabbing birds by their legs and carrying them inverted — causes acute pain, fear, and injury. Wing fractures and joint dislocations are common. The scale is staggering: billions of birds annually subjected to this process. Automated catching machines and low-stress catching techniques offer genuine welfare improvements that are technically feasible and economically implementable across the industry.

What You Can Do

Support brands committed to automated catching or low-stress catching protocols
Advocate for catching method requirements in poultry welfare certification standards
Encourage retailers to include catching and loading in their supplier welfare audits
Consider reducing broiler chicken consumption while industry practices remain unchanged