Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:25:56.382Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Catching Broilers by Hand or Machine on Rates of Injuries and Dead-On-Arrivals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

U Knierim  and
A Gocke
U Knierim*
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Behaviour of Farm Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17p, D-30559 Hannover, Germany
A Gocke
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Behaviour of Farm Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17p, D-30559 Hannover, Germany
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Catching of broilers is the first stage in the transfer of birds to the slaughterhouse. The catching process entails a high risk not only of stress but also of injury and death to the birds. Associated injury and mortality rates have important implications not only for animal welfare but also for the economics of the procedure. Catching machines are advantageous with regard to labour costs and standards, and they may also reduce damage to the birds. In the present investigation the use of a sweeper-type catching machine was compared with manual catching under commercial conditions, data being collected during 43 mechanical and 40 manual catching events evenly distributed over one year. Dead-on-arrival rates were recorded, and 108 068 mechanically caught and 87 916 manually caught birds were examined for injuries on the shackles at the processing plant. Injury rates of all types were significantly reduced after mechanical catching. This improvement was highest with respect to leg injuries. There was no significant difference in the number of dead-on-arrivals except during the spring period, when there were higher losses of birds caught mechanically; this was thought to be attributable to climatic conditions. The loading of the transport containers with equal numbers of birds and the initial familiarisation period of the catching team with the machine are potentially problematic factors with potential for improvement. The catching machine investigated here, with its lower risk of injury to broilers than commercial manual catching, has the potential to limit impairment of bird welfare during catching.

Keywords

animal handlinganimal welfarebroilercatching machinedead on arrivalinjury
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , February 2003 , pp. 63 - 73
Copyright
© 2003 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Bayliss, P A and Hinton, M H 1990 Transportation of broilers with special references to mortality rates. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28: 93–118CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, P S and Kettlewell, P J 1997 The development of the Silsoe Broiler Harvester. In: Bottcher, R W and Hoffs, S J (eds) Livestock Environment V, Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium pp 348–354. American Society of Agricultural Engineers: St Joseph, USAGoogle Scholar
Duncan, I J H 1989 The assessment of welfare during the handling and transport of broilers. In: Faure, J M and Mills, A D (eds) Proceedings of the 3rd European Symposium on Poultry Welfare pp 93–107. World's Poultry Science Association: Tours, FranceGoogle Scholar
Duncan, I J H, Gillian, S S, Kettlewell, P J, Berry, P S and Carlisle, A J 1986 Comparison of the stressfulness of harvesting broiler chickens by machine and by hand. British Poultry Science 27: 109–114CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ekstrand, C 1998 An observational study of the effects of catching method on carcase rejection rates in broilers. Animal Welfare 7: 87–96Google Scholar
Gerrits, A R, De Koning, K and Mighels, A 1985 Catching broilers. Poultry 1: 20–23Google Scholar
Gocke, A 2000 Untersuchung über den Einsatz einer Hähnchenfangmaschine in Mastbetrieben in Norddeutschland. Veterinary Dissertation, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany [Title translation: Investigation of the use of a broiler catching machine at commercial farms in North Germany]: Investigation of the use of a broiler catching machine at commercial farms in North Germany]Google Scholar
Gracey, J F 1986 Meat Hygiene, Edn 8 pp 455–458. Baillière Tindall: Eastbourne, UKGoogle Scholar
Gregory, N G 1994 Pathology and handling of poultry at the slaughterhouse. World's Poultry Science Journal 50: 66–67CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, N G and Austin, S D 1992 Causes of trauma in broilers arriving dead at processing plants. Veterinary Record 131: 501–503CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gregory, N G and Wilkins, L J 1990 Broken bones in chickens: effect of stunning and processing in broilers. British Poultry Science 31: 53–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, N G and Wilkins, L J 1992 Skeletal damage and bone defects during catching and processing. In: Bone Biology and Skeletal Disorders in Poultry, 23rd Poultry Science Symposium pp 313–328. World's Poultry Science Association: Edinburgh, Scotland, UKGoogle Scholar
Griffiths, G L and Nairn, M E 1984 Carcase downgrading of broiler chicken. British Poultry Science 25: 441–446CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamdy, M K, May, K N, Flanagan, W P and Powers, J J 1961 Determination of the age of bruises in the chicken broilers. Poultry Science 40: 787–789CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jespersen, M 1982 Injuries during catching and transportation of broilers. In: Moss, R (ed) Transport of Animals Intended for Breeding, Production and Slaughter pp 39–44. Martinus Nijhoff: The Hague, The NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kettlewell, P J and Turner, M J B 1985 A review of broiler chicken catching and transport systems. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 131: 93–114CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lacy, M P and Czarick, M 1998 Mechanical harvesting of broilers. Poultry Science 77: 1794–1797CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayes, F J 1980 The incidence of bruising in broiler flocks. British Poultry Science 21: 505–509CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Möbius, C 1996 In Deutschland in den Anfängen, in Dänemark schon gang und gäbe. DG S Magazin 31/96: 16-18 [Title translation: In Germany at its beginning, in Denmark already quite usual]Google Scholar
Moran, P and Berry, P S 1992 Mechanised broiler harvesting. Farm Buildings and Engineering 91: 24–27Google Scholar
Parry, R T 1989 Technological developments in pre-slaughter handling and processing. In: Mead, G C (ed) Processing of Poultry pp 65–101. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Schneider, V 2000 Einfluß der Fang- und Transportbedingungen auf die Transportverluste bei Masthühnern. Veterinary Dissertation, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany [Title translation: Influence of catching and transport conditions on transport losses of broiler chickens]: Influence of catching and transport conditions on transport losses of broiler chickens]Google Scholar
Scott, G B and Moran, P 1992 Behavioural responses of laying hens to carriage on horizontal and inclined conveyors. Animal Welfare 1: 269–277Google Scholar
StatSoft Inc 1996 Statistica for Windows. Computer program manual. StatSoft Inc: Tulsa, OK, USAGoogle Scholar
Wilson, J G and Brunson, C C 1968 The effects of handling and slaughter method on the incidence of haemorrhagic thighs in broilers. Poultry Science 47: 1315–1318CrossRefGoogle Scholar