The catching and loading of broiler chickens for transport to slaughter is one of the most acute welfare events in poultry production.
Catching and loading represents a welfare crisis concentrated into the final hours of a broiler's life. Birds that have spent their entire lives in a house suddenly experience rough handling by strangers, inversion, transport in crowded crates, and unfamiliar environments. The physical injury rate from poorly executed catching is significant - broken wings and legs that cause pain during the remaining hours before slaughter. While better training, mechanical assistance and atmospheric stunning offer welfare improvements, the fundamental challenge is that catching speed is economically pressured, creating incentives that compete with careful handling. Welfare-positive catching requires training standards, time allowances that permit careful handling, and monitoring systems that detect and respond to injury rates.