Poultry Pre-Slaughter Handling and Fear

The handling and transport of poultry in the final hours before slaughter causes acute fear that represents a significant welfare concern.

Key Facts

Broiler chickens are caught, crated, and transported to slaughter without food or water for 12 to 24 hours
Mechanical catching reduces injury rates compared to manual catching but still causes significant stress
Shackling live birds upside down by their legs for stunning is acutely painful and stressful
Controlled atmosphere killing systems eliminate the live shackling stage entirely
Pre-slaughter stress elevates cortisol and affects meat quality, providing economic as well as welfare incentives for improvement

Welfare Considerations

The final hours of a broiler chicken life involve a cascade of acute stressors: catching, crating, transport, and live shackling. Each stage causes demonstrable fear and pain. Controlled atmosphere systems that render birds unconscious before any handling represent the most significant single improvement available in commercial poultry slaughter welfare.

What You Can Do

Support retailers requiring controlled atmosphere killing in their poultry supply chains
Advocate for animal welfare organizations to prioritize poultry pre-slaughter welfare in campaigns
Choose chicken products from suppliers that have independently verified their slaughter welfare standards