During the catching of broilers for slaughter, 2 to 3 birds are grabbed per hand at one leg at the same time. From an animal welfare point of view, this procedure is under critical observation from animal welfare administration and the general public.In this paper 2 catching methods were compared: the routinely used 1-leg catching method, and a second tech-nique whereby birds were grabbed by both legs with a maximum of 2 birds per hand (2-leg catching method). Lesions on the body, legs, and wings (hemorrhages and fractures) were recorded by a camera system located after the plucking position. Two weight classes, 2 catching teams, and 2 flocks were included in the study.Heavy animals showed more lesions than birds of the light weight class. In all investigations, lesions on the body and legs were rare, whereas wing lesions occurred at a rate of up to 15.32%. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the 2 methods or between the catching teams for both weight classes. A correlation between lesions and weight was observed, with a significant odds ratio ( OR: ) of 3.6 (95% CI: 3.299-3.957).During 2-leg catching, the animals appeared to be more restless. Workers stated that the grabbing of both legs of a bird was more difficult and that working in a crouching position for a longer time was harder.We conclude that the cautious handling of animals to reduce stress is more important than "holding animals by both legs", as has been proposed.

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Processing changes the meat ecosystem and, hence, has an impact on the microbiological load and quality of the product. Microbial contamination decreases shelf life and, if a pathogen is present, increases the risk of zoonoses in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological load, including zoonotic agents, in ready-to-eat beef mortadella from Ethiopian supermarkets. A total of 119 samples from 8 supermarkets in Addis Ababa City (Ethiopia) were examined for aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. An overall mean of 4.0 log for aerobic plate count and 2.2 log for Enterobacteriaceae was observed. The Salmonella prevalence was 0.8%. An overall E. coli prevalence of 29% (range, 13 to 53%) was observed at individual supermarkets.