Poultry Catching Welfare: Training and Equipment Standards

Catching poultry at depopulation is a high-risk welfare event. Staff training, handling technique and equipment design dramatically affect injury and stress outcomes.

Key Facts

Wing and leg fractures occur in 0.5-5% of conventionally caught broilers at depopulation
Upright single-leg catching is associated with higher injury rates than two-leg or body catching
Mechanical harvesting machines cause lower mortality than some manual catching teams
Dark lighting and infrared light reduce fearfulness during catching operations
Catcher training and performance monitoring significantly reduces fracture rates

Welfare Considerations

Catching and crating of poultry is one of the most acutely welfare-significant events in commercial poultry production. Birds experience fear from restraint, handling and novel human contact. Physical injuries during catching cause pain that persists through transport and until slaughter. Management interventions that reduce catching speed requirements, improve lighting conditions, provide adequate space for catchers to work safely and monitor injury rates create measurable welfare improvements. Contractual requirements for catching team certification and injury rate reporting hold catching operations to welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support retailers that include catching welfare standards in their supply chain requirements
Advocate for mandatory catcher training certification and depopulation injury monitoring
Learn about catching welfare when assessing farm certification standards
Support investment in mechanical harvesting systems that reduce manual catching injury rates
Choose poultry with welfare certification that covers the full production cycle including depopulation