Poultry is transported for a few different reasons, for instance to fairs or markets, to a new owner, the vet, or to slaughter. Unfortunately, few people put much thought into how to best transport their fowl. As a result, birds experience distress, get sick or die in transit. This can be easily avoided. Consider the following factors before transporting fowl.

On-farm or backyard slaughter of poultry has some advantages and disadvantages from an animal welfare perspective. In this text, some considerations are discussed in relation to the animals' experience prior to slaughter and some suggestions are provided for humane slaughter.

When a broiler chicken is injured, stunted in growth, immobile or unable to eat or drink, it is in the animal’s best interest to take the bird out of the flock for euthanasia rather than to leave the bird to eventually die. Euthanasia, or “good death” is not a pleasant job, so it is important that it is effective, relatively quick and easy to administer.

Northern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) are one of the more common ectoparasites (external parasites) that can be present in a poultry flock. This publication discusses detection, prevention, and treatment options

Footpad dermatitis refers to a lesion on the footpad and/or toes, characterized by black, necrotic skin and inflammation. This is a widespread condition that can occur in any poultry flock, from mini scale backyard birds to large-scale commercial settings. This publication covers information about the prevalence, causes, methods to keep track, and some potential remedies.

Predation is a common risk for poultry that are allowed to roam freely outdoors (Fig. 1). Predator types may differ depending on the region. Therefore, this article may not cover all possible predators for a specific geographical region. This article provides an overview of potential flock predators, how to identify the predator, and approaches to avoid predation in your free-range poultry flock.

Leg and foot problems in poultry can be a serious health and animal welfare problem, with consequences for production too. Most leg and foot disorders in poultry can be prevented through proper nutrition and management. However, some problems can be genetic. Here we consider the causes of these problems in poultry. By taking proper management precautions, you can prevent leg and foot disorders from ever occurring.

Domesticated chickens, like their ancestor the Jungle Fowl, will range outdoors when given the opportunity, especially when given shelter or natural overhead cover from bushes and trees. Poultry flocks that get the opportunity to range outdoors can benefit in terms of health and behavioral opportunities. However, many factors impact ranging behavior, including shelters, weather, time of day, early life experiences, fear, group size and genetics. Here we focus on one component that could stimulate poultry to use the range more, which is to provide natural vegetation other than grass.

A highly-pathogenic strain of Avian influenza, or bird flu is currently present in the United States. The outbreak started in early 2022 and continues. So far, the disease has infected both commercial and backyard poultry flocks resulting in the loss of over 90 million birds. It was recently detected in other livestock species, such as dairy cattle, and wildlife. It can transmit to humans. Biosecurity measures could prevent transmission of this disease.

This article outlines tools and standards used in animal welfare audits for broiler chickens. These audits assess whether farms, hatcheries, or processing plants meet animal welfare certification standards, which may be company-specific or part of nationally recognized certification programs. The audits are performed to evaluate resource-based inputs (housing, handling, veterinary care) and animal-based indicators (health, behavior, emotional states) to assess overall animal welfare. Here we show examples of prominent U.S. broiler welfare certification programs, their associated audit tools, animal welfare indicators used during audits, and compliance thresholds.