An undercover investigation by Animal Liberation NSW

Catching / Crating & Slaughter

  • By the time birds are being caught and crated for slaughter they are often on the verge of structural collapse. Workers can carry up to 5 birds at a time and broken bones and dislocations are common. Chickens are crammed into crates and experience extreme fear because of weather exposure and cramped conditions during transport. In transit the broiler, who has spent his or her life in a darkened shed, is suddenly exposed to light and traffic noise. Statistics suggest that each year up to 0.46% of chickens arrive 'DOA' (dead on arrival) at the slaughterhouse. Applied to the over half a billion chickens raised in Australia, that means up to 2,536,160 chickens may arrive DOA (5*).
  • At the slaughterhouse chickens are shackled to a conveyor belt which carries them along the processing line. The line passes across an electrified water bath, which is intended to stun the birds before an automatic knife cuts their throats. Birds then proceed into a scalding tank, to loosen their feathers before plucking. Some birds lift their heads and miss the electrified water bath and therefore may be fully conscious when their throat is cut.