An Evaluation of Two Different Broiler Catching Methods

Abstract

Simple SummaryCatching is the process that transfers birds from the poultry house to the transport modules. The catching process and its associated handling may lead to stress, injuries, mortality and reduced welfare for the animals. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of two manual broiler catching methods. Broilers were either caught by both legs and carried inverted to the drawers or caught under the abdomen and carried in an upright position. Effects of catching method on crating time, number of animals in the drawers, wing and leg fractures, animals on their back in the drawers and broilers dead-on-arrival were investigated. The results showed that the abdominal and upright method was faster and gave a lower and more consistent number of birds per drawer. In addition, this method tended towards fewer wing fractures. No broken legs, birds on their back in the drawers or broilers dead-on-arrival were observed in the study. Catching is a critical phase in the pre-slaughter chain, and this study shows that the catching and carrying method affects broiler welfare.AbstractCatching is the first step in the pre-slaughter chain for broiler chickens. The process may be detrimental for animal welfare due to the associated handling. The aim of this pilot study was to compare two different methods to manually catch broilers: Catching the broilers by two legs and carrying them inverted (LEGS) or catching the broilers under the abdomen and carrying them in an upright position (UPRIGHT). Wing and leg fractures upon arrival at the abattoir, animal density in the drawers, birds on their back, broilers dead-on-arrival and time to fill the transport modules were investigated. The results showed that mean crating time was shorter in the UPRIGHT method (p = 0.007). There was a tendency for more wing fractures in broilers caught by the LEGS (p = 0.06). The animal density in the drawers was lower and with a smaller range in the UPRIGHT method (p = 0.022). The results indicate that catching the broilers under the abdomen in an upright position may improve broiler welfare in terms of fewer wing fractures, more consistent stocking density in drawers and potentially reduced loading time.

Effect of different catching practices during manual upright handling on broiler welfare and behavior

“…The catcher can keep the folded wings pressed close to the body of the bird, facilitating the placement of that bird inside the crate, reducing agitation in the hand and crate and the chance of striking the crate entrance. The results of the present study corroborate those from other studies showing that birds that are caught carefully and held in an upright position present less agitation and stress compared to inverted birds that are caught by the leg (Broom and Knowles, 1989; Kannan and Mench, 1996; Carvalho, 2001; Langkabel et al, 2015; Kittelsen et al, 2018).…”

“…Catching birds for slaughter is one of the most stressful stages in broiler production and can cause suffering and stress to the animals (Queiroz et al, 2015; Kittelsen et al, 2018). It also causes economic problems due to fractures and lesions (Moran and Berry, 1988; Gregory and Wilkins, 1990; Queiroz et al, 2015).…”

“…Studies comparing mechanical vs. manual catching, upright catching vs. catching by a leg, upright catching with neck catching and catching the birds by one or both legs revealed that, depending on the type of catching method used, there is variation in agitation, number of injuries, and mortality, which directly reflects on animal welfare (Carvalho, 2001; Leandro et al, 2001; Schilling et al, 2008; Langkabel et al, 2015). Additionally, Kittelsen et al (2018) found that catching the broilers around the abdomen, in an upright position, improved broiler welfare in terms of mortality and reduced fractures.…”

Development of the ‘animal welfare’ dimension within the Greenwell sustainability assessment model. 1.: Justification of the selection of indicators

“…Catching is one of the primary causes of injuries in the end-of-life phase [4]. The risk for injuries decreases when birds are not hold upside down on their legs, but kept in upright position and hold by their body with manual catching [115]; with mechanical catching, settings of the machine are important to reduce the risk for injuries [ [117,118] Flapping on the line and vocalisations…”

Origin of broiler carcass condemnations

“…An essential factor in the quality of the final product is that the broiler catching team should be well selected and trained (Grandin, 2014). Pre-slaughter operations, which include fasting, capture, loading, transport, and waiting time at the slaughterhouse, are considered crucial points in the optimization of the production processes (Khan et al, 2018;Kittelsen et al, 2018). Such procedures are part of the follow-up of technical observations of operations called the "after-gate" actions, carried out by staff and machinery that need to be set according to the size and weight of broilers (Grandin, 2014;Frisk et al, 2018).…”