Poultry Transport Welfare and Long-Distance Shipping

Billions of live chickens, turkeys, and other poultry are transported under conditions that cause heat stress, injury, and mortality with limited regulatory oversight.

Key Facts

An estimated 9 billion broiler chickens are transported to slaughter in the US each year
Poultry transport mortality rates of 0.1 to 0.5% represent tens of millions of deaths annually
EU regulations require maximum 8-hour journeys for poultry without water
In hot weather, trailer temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius causing heat stroke
Catching and crating is associated with broken wings and legs in an estimated 0.2 to 5% of birds

Welfare Considerations

Poultry transport welfare is compromised at every stage: catching causes acute injury, crating confines birds below their natural standing height, vibration and noise cause sustained fear responses, and temperature extremes cause hypothermia or heat stroke. The scale — billions of individual animals — means even small percentage injury rates represent enormous numbers of suffering animals. Journey time limits, vehicle monitoring, and maximum stocking densities are proven interventions that reduce harm substantially.

What You Can Do

Support poultry welfare standards requiring maximum journey times and temperature monitoring
Advocate for mandatory CCTV in live animal transport vehicles
Choose chicken certified by higher-welfare schemes with reduced transport distances
Support slaughter at or near farms as an alternative to long-distance transport