The relationship between cold-weather broiler chicken transport conditions and flock mortality

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Broiler chickens are transported from the farm to the processing plant in trailers. Passive ventilation is used to remove heat, carbon dioxide and moisture form the birds' environment. In the summer, this does not normally pose a problem, but in cold weather, passive ventilation is reduced by closing vents and covering the sides of the trailers with tarps to prevent the birds from becoming chilled. However, the reduction in air flow results in retention of moisture, and the lack of mixing can result in areas within the trailer having a buildup of heat. Because there is no single standard design for trailers, drivers rely on experience and intuition to configure the vents and tarps to minimize the temperature stress on the birds and optimize bird welfare. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency requires that the proportion of birds dead on arrival (DOA) remain below 1%; if levels are above this, an investigation is initiated, and the processing plant, catching crew and/or transport company can be penalized financially. In addition, sub-optimal transport conditions can compromise bird welfare and meat quality. The proposed research is an important first step in helping the industry partner to identify the variations in environmental conditions throughout the transport trailer under different ambient temperatures during chicken transport. With this knowledge, drivers will be better able to adjust ventilation conditions as environmental temperatures change.