Catching poultry for depopulation, welfare culling during disease outbreaks, and live-catching for transport are high-risk welfare events requiring trained staff and evidence-based methods.
Poultry catching welfare sits at the intersection of trained skill, physical demand, and time pressure. Poor technique during live-catching causes dislocated hips, fractured wings, and bruising that represent acute welfare harm for millions of birds annually. The economic pressures on catching crews - paid per bird rather than for welfare outcomes - create perverse incentives that welfare standards must counter. Emergency culling during disease outbreaks amplifies these challenges, requiring rapid, large-scale killing under unusual conditions. Investment in catcher training, mechanized catching systems, and appropriate welfare monitoring transforms catching from a high-risk welfare event into a better-managed one.