Handling and transport of spent hens

The procedures normally used for the removal of hens from cages at the end of their laying cycle and their subsequent transport to the slaughterhouse are described. Because 30% of live birds arriving at the slaughterhouse have been found to have one or more broken bones, discussion is focused on the principal factors involved in the aetiology of such lesions. These include the reduction in bone strength due to mineral depletion during lay, restricted physical movement and exercise within cages and the methods used to remove birds from their cages, in addition to the other sources of potential trauma associated with transportation from the farm to the processing plant.