Poultry Catching and Handling Welfare Before Transport

The catching and crating of broiler chickens before transport to slaughter is a high-welfare-risk procedure affecting billions of birds annually.

Key Facts

Around 1 billion broiler chickens are caught and transported to slaughter in the UK each year; 65+ billion globally
Catching-related injuries including dislocations, fractures and haemorrhages are found in 4-10% of birds at post-mortem
Mechanical harvesting machines (catchers) can reduce physical injury compared to poorly trained manual catchers
Catching in the dark or using red light substantially reduces fear responses in birds during the procedure

Welfare Considerations

Poultry catching is a high-intensity welfare event during which billions of birds experience fear, pain and physical injury annually. Birds are caught by one or two legs, inverted, and placed in transport modules — all highly aversive procedures for chickens. Training catchers in correct technique (four-birds-per-hand maximum, avoiding inversion where possible) significantly reduces injury rates. Mechanical catchers, used by larger operations, reduce contact time and injury rate but can cause bruising if incorrectly set.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory catching and handling training for all poultry farm workers
Support the transition to mechanical catchers where appropriate for large-scale operations
Require catching to occur in dim light or darkness to reduce fear during handling
Inspect transport modules for overcrowding and use maximum permitted loading densities