Farm Animals

Poultry Catching and Transport: Welfare at the Critical Transition

The catching and transport of poultry to slaughter is associated with significant injury, stress, and mortality. Reform of practices and equipment is urgently needed.

Key Facts

Over 1 billion chickens are caught and transported to slaughter in the UK annually
Manual catching causes wing fractures, dislocations, and bruising
Mechanical harvesting reduces acute injury but causes stress from different mechanisms
Journey times may exceed 4 hours for poultry in the UK
Temperature regulation during transport is inadequate in many vehicles
Pre-slaughter mortality is a welfare indicator tracked by assurance schemes

Welfare Considerations

The catching, loading, and transport phase of poultry slaughter is associated with acute suffering. Fear, pain, and thermal stress occur simultaneously in a brief window that affects millions of birds daily. Catching machine design improvements and reduced journey times have welfare benefits. Night-time catching in low light conditions reduces fear responses in birds.

What You Can Do

Support producers committed to low mortality rates during transport
Choose poultry from schemes requiring journey time and transport welfare records
Advocate for mechanical harvesting upgrades and night-catching protocols