The transport of chickens from farm to slaughter is one of the most welfare-compromising stages of poultry production, involving extremes of temperature, crowding, and handling.
Chicken transport welfare is a mass-scale problem — billions of birds make this journey annually, and the conditions involve every major welfare stressor simultaneously. Inadequate ventilation in hot weather creates heat stress; winter transport without heating causes cold-related deaths. Crowded crates prevent normal posture. The catching process before loading adds injury and stress. Death on arrival is the most extreme indicator, but the welfare cost of the transport experience extends far beyond mortality to the suffering of surviving birds. Temperature-controlled transport, journey time limits, and reduced catching stress all represent achievable, evidence-based improvements.