Animal Welfare in Broiler Chicken Transportation
Summary
Transport of broiler chickens to processing facilities exposes birds to a sequence of physical and environmental stressors that significantly influence welfare outcomes, mortality and meat quality. Critical factors include the methods used for catching and crating, stocking density within transport modules, microclimatic variations in temperature and humidity, journey duration and seasonal extremes. Inadequate handling can lead to fractures, bruising and elevated dead-on-arrival rates, while poor thermal control may provoke heat or cold stress. Research highlights the importance of optimising vehicle design, monitoring load environments in real time and implementing staff training and handling protocols. Integrating these strategies ensures compliance with welfare standards, minimises economic losses and supports sustainable global poultry production.
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Animal Welfare in Broiler Chicken Transportation publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in animal welfare in broiler chicken transportation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Microclimate: Localised temperature and humidity conditions within transport modules affecting bird welfare.
Enthalpy comfort index: Composite thermal measure combining temperature and humidity to evaluate heat stress risk in broilers.
Dead-on-arrival: Birds found deceased upon arrival at the processing facility, indicating severe transport stress.
Stocking density: Number of birds per unit volume in crates, influencing movement restriction, injury risk and thermal exchange.
Bruising: Subcutaneous haemorrhage resulting from mechanical trauma during handling and transport.
References
- Negative Trends in Transport-related Mortality Rates in Broiler Chickens. Animal Bioscience (2016).
- An Evaluation of Two Different Broiler Catching Methods. Animals (2018).
- Transport of broilers: load microclimate during Brazilian summer. Engenharia Agrícola (2014).
- Effect of transportation distances, seasons and crate microclimate on broiler chicken production losses. PLOS ONE (2020).
- Training of catching teams and reduction of back scratches in broilers. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science (2013).
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