Poultry Welfare in Catching and Transport: Key Improvements

The catching, crating, and transport of poultry for slaughter causes significant welfare harm, with improvements in methods and monitoring reducing injury and distress.

Key Facts

Broilers are caught 1-3 times in their lives - at chick placement and at slaughter
Standard catching involves workers grabbing birds by one or two legs causing injury and cardiac stress
Transport in crates exposes birds to temperature extremes, crowding, and vibration stress
Journey time regulations exist in the EU but enforcement and compliance vary widely
Controlled atmosphere stunning on the farm (CAS) eliminates the stresses of transport to slaughter
Mechanical harvesting reduces handling injuries but introduces other stress factors

Welfare Considerations

The period from catching to slaughter is among the most stressful and injurious of a broiler's life. Mortality and injury during this phase represents measurable welfare harm at industrial scale. Improvements in catching training, crate design, vehicle ventilation, journey time limits, and on-farm slaughter all reduce suffering. Consumer demand for higher welfare products that include catching and transport standards is a powerful driver of improvement.

What You Can Do

Support welfare certifications that specify catching training requirements and transport time limits
Choose chicken products from farms using controlled atmosphere stunning or on-farm slaughter where available
Advocate for stronger enforcement of transport time limits in your jurisdiction
Support research into mechanical catching systems that reduce bird injury rates
Reduce chicken consumption from suppliers with no documented catching and transport welfare standards
Ask retailers about the transport and catching requirements they place on chicken suppliers