Today there are efficient, safe and sustainable alternatives to ensure the transport of production poultry under the best animal welfare standards.

Poultry is a key industry worldwide

Poultry farming worldwide has two main production axes: broilers and laying hens. In addition, there are grandparent, broiler and layer farms, among others. There are also poultry farms for the development of other species such as ducks, turkeys, and quails, which also have significant production margins.

To respond to the worldwide demand for protein, poultry farming has implemented improvement strategies in its multiple processes to obtain greater efficiency, welfare and productivity. One of the links in this poultry production chain is the transportation of poultry.

On the one hand, the beginning of a production cycle on a farm requires the mobilization of the chicks that will make up the system, whether broilers or layers. Therefore, the transportation of the poultry must be done according to their age, environmental conditions, zootechnical purpose, budget, among others.

In addition, at the end of the farm cycle, the transport of poultry that have completed their productive period should also be carried out under the highest animal welfare standards. There are problems that can arise in the transportation of poultry that should be avoided by implementing strategies and improvements in the process infrastructure.

One strategy of great importance in poultry farms is the implementation of high quality and durable plastic transport boxes that provide the best welfare conditions for this purpose.

Why is poultry transport a critical issue?

Production poultry has undergone improvement processes in recent decades that have affected most of its organ systems. Morphological changes in poultry have occurred through careful genetic selection processes, improving factors that affect better production.

As a result, broilers now have better feed conversion rates, greater muscle size and accelerated growth. In layers, there have been significant improvements in the number of eggs per cycle, egg size, nutrient uptake and reproductive efficiency.

However, these improvements can be diminished if factors affecting the production process, such as transportation, become a critical issue. Poultry have a low tolerance to sudden or extreme temperature changes due to their high metabolic rate. Similarly, their weight makes them susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries during sudden movements and they are more easily stressed by environmental or social adversity.

Because of these physiological difficulties, poultry transport must be designed to meet welfare parameters and reduce injury or stress. This will reduce the economic losses associated with mortality and discarding due to transport.

Given the dynamics of the global poultry industry, it has been estimated that approximately 87% of the poultry transported are broilers, with the remainder being layers. Similarly, an average mortality rate of 0.2% has been calculated during this process, with the aim of reducing it as much as possible.

You may be interested in: Live Poultry transport: Good practice guide

Main challenges in poultry transport

There are challenges that must be avoided when transporting poultry on poultry farms. These challenges are related to injuries due to trauma, environmental conditions, poor infrastructure, lack of training, among others.

It is very important to know and create management plans to avoid each of these problems during poultry transportation. The most common causes are listed below:

• Iatrogenic injuries and trauma during the process of loading poultry from the barn to the transport boxes.
• Thermal discomfort due to high or very low temperatures during transport.
• Stress due to abrupt movements, shocks or trauma during poultry transport.
• Inadequate conditioning of the vehicle and transport boxes used to transport the poultry, not adapted to their physiognomy.
• Inadequate management of food and water deprivation for excessively long periods, which may increase the mortality rate of transported poultry.
• Entry of external gases or air pollutants into the poultry house, which can cause muscle damage.
• Excessive noise, which increases stress on the poultry and increases the likelihood of crushing or muscle damage.
• Excessive stocking densities per transport box, which suffocates the poultry and causes stress.
• Excessive speed of the vehicle transporting the poultry or inadequate driving, which increases the likelihood of trauma.
• Road conditions unrelated to the transport, which can impede the process and increase travel time.

Many of these challenges can be avoided by strategies to improve the infrastructure in which poultry are transported. The transport boxes in which they are housed and spend several minutes are a key factor in significantly improving this process.

Strategies to optimize poultry transportation

One of the cornerstones of poultry transportation is to have prevention plans and management strategies in place to avoid the mistakes mentioned above. These recommendations should be considered to optimize the movement of poultry from one point to another.

• Provide air conditioning in the passenger compartment of the vehicle transporting the poultry to maintain thermal comfort.
• Select the proper density of birds traveling in each transport box.
• Evaluate road conditions to avoid mishaps and prolonged fasting.
• Evaluate ambient temperature conditions for proper water management prior to transport to prevent dehydration.
• Provide soundproofing or schedule quiet travel times to reduce stress.
• Protect the poultry in transport boxes from cold or fast air currents and rainwater intrusion.
• Provide pressure, humidity, and temperature gauges to ensure the best environmental comfort for the poultry.
• Monitor recommended density parameters during poultry transport according to size category as shown in Table 1.

Transport boxes in poultry: the key element

When transporting poultry, the size of poultry should be considered according to its size category and ideal density. For this reason, the transport box is a key element in the process, as it will be the means to guarantee their comfort and well-being during the journey.

Poultry farming requires efficient solutions according to its current needs, including equipment and infrastructure for poultry transport. That is why Giordano Poultry Plast, an Italian company with decades of experience in the market, offers poultry farmers the best technology, durability, and innovative design of transport boxes.

Giordano Poultry Plast transport boxes are made of ultraviolet (UV) stabilized HD polyethylene, which makes them highly resistant and durable. In addition, the Italian company offers a version with perforated or semi-perforated bottom, according to the needs of each poultry group.

The incorporation of Giordano Poultry Plast’s transport boxes, thanks to their innovative and efficient design, provides greater comfort to the poultry during this process. Inside these transport boxes the poultry have thermal comfort, a comfortable floor, space according to the required density and safety during the journey.

Conclusion

Modern poultry farming has made remarkable improvements over the last decades to achieve more efficient, welfare and higher performance processes. However, there are challenges in production related to the different stages of the process in the poultry farm.

One of the critical points is the transportation of the poultry. This process must be carried out under the best animal welfare standards and have efficient strategies for its development. Therefore, it is necessary to identify common errors and possible failures to generate prevention programs.

Similarly, there are different strategies that poultry farms can implement to improve the transport of poultry. One of these strategies is to improve the equipment and infrastructure used to transport poultry.

To provide poultry farms with optimal conditions and efficient equipment, Giordano Poultry Plast offers plastic transport boxes for poultry transport. This equipment is highly durable, easy to handle and designed according to productivity and animal welfare standards.