Poultry Catching and Loading Welfare

The catching and loading of poultry before transport is among the most stressful and injurious handling events in commercial poultry production. Improving catching practices has significant welfare implications.

Key Facts

Catching and loading broilers by hand involves catching individual birds by their legs in near-darkness
Automated harvesting machines exist but are not widely adopted due to cost and building design constraints
Up to 20% of broilers sustain injuries during catching and loading including wing fractures and dislocations
Catching is typically performed at night to reduce bird stress but practices vary widely
The welfare of catching crew is also a concern - repetitive lifting of thousands of birds per shift causes musculoskeletal injuries

Welfare Considerations

Catching and loading is a major welfare bottleneck in commercial poultry production. Birds that have lived their entire lives without rough handling experience sudden intense handling, often in near-darkness, by multiple catchers. Injuries sustained during this process cause pain during transport and slaughter. Automated catching machines, where properly designed and operated, can reduce injury rates compared to skilled hand-catching teams, but their implementation requires appropriate building infrastructure. Catching team training in handling technique makes a measurable welfare difference.

What You Can Do

Advocate for industry investment in automated catching technology for broilers
Support welfare standards that include catching injury rates as monitored indicators
Choose poultry products certified to standards that include catching and loading welfare requirements
Raise awareness among poultry consumers that catching welfare is part of the total welfare picture