Abstract
The postharvest broiler chicken business in the city of Mataram and its surroundings is generally carried out by small entrepreneurs using simple technology, so they tend to ignore animal welfare. This research aimed to determine the number of postharvest animal welfare violations committed by broiler chicken businesses. The research was conducted in the city of Mataram and its surroundings and included in-depth observations and interviews with collectors and slaughter business groups. The study was performed via the cluster sampling method, whereas the identification of collectors and slaughter entrepreneurs was performed via the snowball and accidental sampling methods, respectively. The assessment of animal welfare practices was guided by 5 indicators, namely, free from thirst and hunger, free from feeling hot and uncomfortable, free from wounds, free from disease and illness, free from fear and suffering, and free to exhibit normal behavior and have normal experiences. The observation of violations focused on catching and packing methods (putting chickens in boxes), weighing methods, numbers of chickens in boxes, transportation time and duration, and protection of chickens in vehicles. Other concerns included the loading and unloading process, treatment of chickens in quarantine cages, quality of slaughter knives, placement of slaughtered chickens and live chickens, and the scalding process. The study revealed that postharvest animal welfare violations by broiler chicken businesses occurred during all these activities. The most serious violations occurred during catching, weighing, packing and unloading, and transporting chickens, as well as during the placement of live and slaughtered chickens.