Is on-farm slaughter for broilers a crazy idea?

Some welfare schemes are calling for broilers to spend their entire lives on the farm; researchers are looking at how the industry might accomplish this efficiently while also maintaining product quality and safety.

Terrence O'Keefe

October 11, 2023

On-farm slaughter could reduce the amount of stress birds experience on their last day.

On-farm slaughter could reduce the amount of stress birds experience on their last day.

Terrence O'Keefe

The Global Animal Partnership (GAP) has established six welfare certification standards for chicken products. The highest certification level is GAP 5+ which calls for the birds’ entire life to be spent on one farm, there is no live chick or market age bird transport allowed. The only way to accomplish GAP 5+ is to have both on-farm hatching and slaughter. In addition, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) recognizes transport as a stressor and suggests that animals should be slaughtered as close as possible to their point of origin.

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