The catching and transport of live broiler chickens to slaughter is a major welfare bottleneck, involving handling stress, injury and mortality in millions of birds.
Catching and live transport is one of the highest-risk periods for broiler chicken welfare. Manual catching by workers grasping multiple birds simultaneously causes fractures, dislocations and bruising even with skilled handlers. The cumulative physiological burden of catching, crating, loading and transport - often after feed withdrawal - represents substantial suffering. Mechanical catching machines reduce catching-related injuries when properly calibrated but are not universally adopted. Reducing journey times, improving crate design and investing in controlled atmosphere stunning at the farm (avoiding live transport) would significantly improve welfare.