Consultation outcome

Poultry catching and handling: proposed changes to permitted methods

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
10 March 2025
Last updated
30 June 2025 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Summary of responses and government response

PDF, 449 KB, 33 pages

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Detail of outcome

We received 103 responses to this consultation. We will amend the law to allow chickens and turkeys to be lifted by their legs, in-line with the existing Great Britain statutory guidance. We will also make it clear in law that:

  • chickens, and turkeys weighing 5kg or less, must not be caught, lifted, or carried by a single leg
  • turkeys weighing more than 5kg must not be lifted or carried in an inverted position, whether by the legs or otherwise

Original consultation

Summary

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.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

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.

Updates to this page

Published 10 March 2025
Last updated 30 June 2025 show all updates

  1. Added the summary of responses and government response.

  2. First published.

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