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Consultation Outcome Published 30 Jun 2025 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs ↗ View on GOV.UK

Poultry catching and handling: proposed changes to permitted methods

Seeking views on proposed changes to how you’re allowed to catch (lift and carry) laying hens and meat chickens when loading and unloading for transport.

Opened 10 Mar 2025
Closed 2 May 2025
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We want to know what you think about proposed changes to how you can legally catch chickens for transport as part of commercial activities.

We’re proposing to make the law clearer so that you can catch chickens by two legs, in line with established welfare guidance.

We also want to gather more information on:

  • how long it takes to catch chickens using different methods in different housing systems
  • how turkeys are currently caught and lifted
  • how to gather data to understand the links between catching methods, the number of people in a catching team, and animal welfare

You can read the Welsh version of this information.