The first hours of a chick's life in a hatchery and transport to the farm are welfare-significant events. Improving hatchery welfare and chick transport conditions makes a lasting difference.
Hatchery welfare is one of the least visible but welfare-significant stages of poultry production. Day-old chicks undergo sorting, sexing, vaccination and packaging processes immediately after hatching - a sequence of handling events before they reach the farm. The quality of this process, including speed of handling, temperature maintenance and packaging density, determines both immediate welfare and the physiological state in which chicks arrive on farm. Chicks that are chilled, dehydrated or injured at hatch start life already compromised. Investment in hatchery welfare - improved handling systems, temperature-controlled transport, reduced post-hatch procedures - delivers welfare benefits that persist through the entire production cycle.