Farm Animal Welfare

Poultry Catching and Transport Welfare

Catching and loading of broiler chickens at the end of the production cycle causes significant acute welfare compromise.

Key Facts

An estimated 0.25% of broiler chickens die from catching and transport-related causes
Manual catching causes bruising, fractures, and dislocation
Mechanical harvesting machines reduce some handling injuries but cause others
Transport journeys of more than 4-6 hours cause significant welfare decline
Temperature control during transport is critical for preventing mortality

Welfare Considerations

The final hours of a broiler's life - catching, loading, transport, and lairage - represent a concentrated period of welfare compromise. Handling injuries, temperature extremes, food and water deprivation, and fear cause significant suffering. Improvements in mechanical harvesting, transport conditions, and journey time limits can substantially reduce this end-of-life welfare burden.

What You Can Do

Support maximum transport time regulations for poultry
Advocate for mechanical harvesting standards that address welfare
Choose chicken certified by schemes auditing catching and transport