Today, Eyes on Animals gave a presentation on the upright catching of chickens at the major international agricultural fair „Grüne Woche“ in Berlin. The presentation was attended by more than 300 people, including veterinarians, poultry farmers, and representatives from various German states.
We shared our concerns about the current catching method (upside down, by one leg, 3-5 chickens at a time) and our positive experiences with the upright catching method (hands around the wings, maximum two chickens at a time). Particularly, the sound clips made an impression; we demonstrated how it sounds in the barn when chickens are caught by the legs (total panic) versus upright (mild stress).
Eyes on Animals has been training various catching teams in the upright catching of chickens since 2016. The catching method is now successfully applied by various Dutch poultry farmers. During the presentation, we also drew attention to the heavy working conditions and high workload (often imposed by slaughterhouses) associated with catching chickens. These conditions make careful catching of chickens impossible.
We hope that our presentation will ultimately inspire some German poultry farmers to try upright catching and experience for themselves how much stress it alleviates for the chickens.
