Poultry Transport Welfare: Vehicle Design and Journey Limits

Transport is one of the most stressful and potentially harmful phases of life for poultry, but improved vehicle design and journey time limits can significantly reduce suffering.

Key Facts

Poultry mortality during transport averages 0.1-0.5% but can reach 3-5% in extreme conditions
EU regulations limit poultry transport to 12 hours without rest, water, or feed
Ventilation failures are a leading cause of heat stress mortality during transport
Catching and loading are among the most traumatic events in poultry lives, causing injuries and fear
Controlled atmosphere stunning at the farm before transport would eliminate transport suffering entirely

Welfare Considerations

Transport subjects poultry to multiple simultaneous welfare insults: capture and crating, vehicle vibration and noise, temperature extremes, social disruption, and deprivation of food and water. Many birds arrive at slaughter already injured or severely stressed. Shorter journey times, better vehicle ventilation, and improved catching methods each address specific welfare harms, while mobile slaughter units or on-farm stunning would eliminate transport stress entirely for more birds.

What You Can Do

Support policies that limit maximum journey times for poultry
Advocate for mandatory stunning before transport (mobile slaughter solutions)
Choose products from suppliers with short supply chains and local slaughter
Engage with retailers to ask about their poultry transport welfare standards
Support research into low-stress catching and loading equipment