Farm Animal Welfare

Poultry Catching and Depopulation Welfare

Catching and loading poultry for transport to slaughter is a high-risk welfare point where injuries and distress are common.

Key Facts

Manual catching causes wing fractures, dislocations, and hemorrhage in broilers
Mechanical harvesters reduce injuries compared to manual methods
Pre-catching feed withdrawal increases stress and heat susceptibility
Nighttime catching under low light reduces fear responses in birds
Training and monitoring of catching crews significantly improves welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Catching and loading is often the most traumatic stage of a poultry's life. Improving methods, training catching teams, and reducing the speed and roughness of the process can dramatically reduce injuries and distress.

What You Can Do

Support poultry producers investing in mechanical or welfare-trained catching
Advocate for mandatory welfare monitoring at catching and loading
Choose poultry products from certified supply chains with catching welfare standards