The benefits for animal welfare of training stockpeople and handlers is increasingly recognised (Hester, 2005) with specific benefits from altering attitudes (Hemsworth, 2003) and in handling and transport (Broom, 2005). Incentive programmes are also effective in reducing damage to birds. Providing incentive pay to employees may greatly reduce broken wings during catching of broilers. In U.S. plants, broken wings averaged 5 to 6%. The implementation of both incentive pay and auditing by restaurant company customers reduced broken wings to 1% or less in light weight birds and less than 3% in jumbo heavy birds.
More information on regulations concerning feed withdrawal prior to transport can be found here.
Further reading
- Broom, D.M. (2005) The effects of land transport on animal welfare. Revue Scientifique Et Technique-Office International Des Epizooties 24 (2), 683-691.
- Hemsworth, P.H. (2003) Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 81(3), 185-198.