Broiler Catching and Loading: A Neglected Welfare Problem

The catching and loading of broiler chickens before transport to slaughter is one of the most acute welfare events in poultry production, yet it receives far less attention than other aspects of the supply chain.

Key Facts

Approximately 1 billion broiler chickens are caught and transported to slaughter in the UK each year
Manual catching - where workers grab birds by one or two legs - causes wing and leg fractures, dislocations, and bruising
Catch rates of up to 1,500 birds per hour per catcher create intense time pressure that compromises welfare
Catching is typically done at night to reduce stress levels, but darkness also makes welfare assessment more difficult
Mechanical catching machines have been developed that catch birds more consistently but are not universally adopted
Pre-catch feed withdrawal (8-12 hours) is standard to reduce gut contents, causing hunger stress
The entire catching and loading process takes 2-6 hours, during which birds experience handling, confinement in crates, and temperature extremes
Dead-on-arrival rates at slaughter plants are a welfare indicator for catching and transport conditions

Welfare Considerations

Catching and loading is a concentrated period of acute welfare harm for broiler chickens. The sheer scale of operations, combined with time pressure on catching teams, creates conditions where individual bird welfare is systematically compromised. Fractures and dislocations during catching cause pain that birds carry into the transport and lairage period before slaughter. Temperature exposure during loading - whether cold winter nights or hot summer days - adds environmental stress to the handling stress. The combination of hunger, rough handling, noise, vibration during transport, and unfamiliar environments represents a multi-factor welfare assault in the final hours of a broiler chicken's life. Better catching team training, lower stocking densities, and mechanical catching systems all offer welfare improvement opportunities.

What You Can Do

Support retailers with audit requirements for broiler catching and transport including fracture rate monitoring
Advocate for catching team training to be a regulatory requirement with documented welfare outcomes
Support the adoption of mechanical catching systems through retailer welfare standards
Engage with poultry welfare organisations including the Humane Slaughter Association on catching welfare
Choose welfare-certified poultry from schemes with end-to-end welfare requirements including catching
Advocate for lower catch rate standards to reduce time pressure that compromises individual bird handling