Poultry Transport Welfare Update

Current standards and advances in managing welfare during poultry transport to slaughter.

Key Facts

Broilers are typically transported to slaughter in crates stacked on vehicles for 1-6 hours
Cold stress and heat stress during transport are significant mortality and welfare causes
Catching injuries from mechanical or manual catching before transport affect 5-10% of birds
Journey time limits of 8 hours apply in the EU for commercial poultry transport
Pre-transport feed and water withdrawal periods must balance bird welfare with slaughter hygiene
Transport mortality rates are an indicator metric - above 0.1% indicates significant welfare problems

Welfare Considerations

Poultry transport welfare spans the entire catch-to-stun process and includes multiple welfare-relevant components that are often managed separately but interact to determine cumulative welfare outcome. Catching injuries, thermal stress during transport, and handling at the slaughter facility contribute to the welfare cost of the pre-slaughter period. Evidence-based journey time limits, thermal management, and gentle catching methodology collectively reduce this welfare burden substantially. The monitoring of transport mortality rates as a welfare key performance indicator provides a simple metric that integrates multiple welfare failures, making it a practical accountability tool for buyers and regulators.

What You Can Do

Support poultry producers with documented transport welfare standards including catching and journey time
Advocate for mandatory transport mortality reporting and benchmarks for poultry welfare accountability
Choose welfare-certified chicken that includes transport welfare standards
Support research into mechanical catching system designs that reduce catching injury rates
Ask food service companies about the transport welfare standards in their poultry supply chains
Learn about the connection between catching practices and transport mortality rates