The German Animal Welfare Federation is pushing for methods that allow chickens to be caught upright instead of "upside down" when they are transported to the slaughterhouse. At its specialist event "Handle with care" at the Green Week yesterday, the federation discussed the issue with 270 participants from the veterinary profession, ministries of agriculture, animal welfare institutes, associations and animal welfare officers.
"Head trapping is contrary to animal welfare, causes fear and stress and carries a high risk of injury for chickens. All stakeholders - catchers, farmers and authorities - must work together to implement the law and end the unnecessary suffering of animals," said Inke Drossé, Head of the Department for Animals in Agriculture at the German Animal Welfare Federation. Ariane Kari, Federal Animal Welfare Commissioner, made it clear that upright trapping is a more humane method and must be implemented.
Head trapping causes pain and suffering
In Germany alone, external catcher convoys catch around 660 million laying hens and broilers every year, usually by one leg - and carry the animals upside down to the transport crates. Dr. Jens Hübel from the Brandenburg State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health demonstrated this at the specialist event using a chicken dummy and made it clear that the unnatural body position leads to breathing difficulties, pain and injuries in the animals. A nationwide training program on the upright catching method for catchers and farmers is therefore crucial. Dr. Christine Bothmann from the executive committee of the Federal Association of Civil Servant Veterinarians spoke of a system failure, but emphasized that a clear legal framework was needed so that official veterinarians could take action.
The legal situation is clear
Dr. Christoph Maisack, Chairman of the German Legal Society for Animal Welfare Law, clarified that a ban on head trapping is already enshrined in European law. The binding Council of Europe recommendations and the EU Animal Welfare Transport Regulation - as well as the German Animal Welfare Transport Regulation based on it - prohibit the head trapping of poultry.
Note to editors: A legal elaboration on "overhead trapping", which the German Animal Welfare Federation has prepared in cooperation with Dr. Barbara Felde, judge at the Administrative Court of Giessen, can be found here as a PDF: www.tierschutzbund.de/gefluegelfangen
