Welfare of Poultry Affected by Extreme Heat During Transport

Poultry transport during summer months causes heat stress-related deaths and suffering at scale, with broilers and turkeys most severely affected.

Key Facts

Heat stress kills an estimated 1 million broilers during US transport annually
Birds in transport crates cannot thermoregulate effectively and lack access to water
Core body temperatures can exceed lethal thresholds within 30 minutes in hot transport vehicles
Journey time limits and mandatory water access are not consistently required in all jurisdictions
Microclimate monitoring within transport vehicles is technically feasible but rarely implemented

Welfare Considerations

Poultry transport during hot weather is one of the most preventable large-scale animal welfare harms in the food system. Birds packed in crates on ventilated trucks lose control of body temperature rapidly and die in large numbers during summer transport — deaths that producers often accept as economic loss without recognizing the suffering involved. Mandatory journey time limits, temperature monitoring, and water access during transport are achievable standards that would save millions of birds from preventable suffering each year.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory temperature monitoring and journey time limits for poultry transport
Support poultry welfare standards that include transport conditions
Choose poultry products from local producers with shorter supply chains
Pressure retailers to require transport welfare standards from their poultry suppliers