Allison Pullin

What is live haul?Turkeys are typically raised for 10 to 20 weeks, depending on bird sex, size, and product criteria for markets. Once the market weight is achieved, turkeys are herded, loaded, and transported to slaughter plants for stunning and processing.These events of herding, loading, and transporting turkeys are commonly referred to as “load out” or “live haul” (henc ...

The egg industry in the United States maintains approximately 300 million hens each year (United Egg Producers, 2025). For every laying hen that is hatched, approximately one male counterpart also hatches. However, as roosters do not produce eggs, they are typically culled, or euthanized, at hatch. However, the culling of these day-old male chicks raises ethical concerns. In an attempt to find an ...

What is the pre-slaughter phase?The preslaughter phase is the last phase of the broiler chicken’s life before slaughter.This phase includes multiple steps: withdrawal of feed and water, catching, loading into transportation crates, and transportation by road, In some cases, chickens may be placed in lairage (waiting area) after arrival at the processing plant. The chickens are then removed f ...

Drinking behavior in poultry develops within the first couple days of life. When an open water source is provided, birds stick their beak roughly 10 mm into the water, use a scooping motion to collect water in their beak, extend their neck in a vertical position, and use gravity to transport water down their esophagus to their crop. While this sequence is the natural drinking behavior for birds, t ...

What is litter?Litter and its management are an essential part of bird management and ensuring bird welfare. This goes for broilers, turkeys, or laying hens kept on litter floors. Litter is a combination of the bedding used within a house combined with the excreta from the birds. Good quality litter provides birds with a comfortable place to rest and perform natural behaviors. Litter has multiple ...

The hatching phase of broiler production refers to the last three days of incubation, which are embryonic days 18-21. This phase of embryonic development is critical for the chick’s survival, as well as welfare and production later in life. In commercial hatcheries, eggs with viable embryos are transferred from incubators to hatching cabinets on embryonic day 18. Chicks hatch in the hatching ...