Farm Animal Welfare

Chicken Catching and Loading Welfare at End of Production

The catching and loading of broiler and laying hens for transport to slaughter is among the highest-risk welfare events in poultry production.

Key Facts

Manual catching involves catching birds by one or both legs, causing wing and leg injuries
Automated catching machines reduce human injury but require careful calibration to prevent bird trauma
Mortality during catching and transport is 0.1-0.5% for broilers, representing millions of birds annually
Night catching with low-light conditions reduces fear and panic in birds
Training catchers in animal handling principles significantly reduces injury rates

Welfare Considerations

Catching and loading represents a period of extreme fear and physical risk for poultry. Birds experience handling by unfamiliar humans, inversion, confinement and transport vibration in rapid succession. Injury during catching causes pain throughout transport and may not be detected before slaughter. Training, night catching and appropriate equipment are proven welfare improvements.

What You Can Do

Ask poultry producers about catching team training and injury rate monitoring
Support welfare certification that includes catching and transport standards
Advocate for video monitoring of catching and loading operations
Support research into improved catching methods and equipment