The lairage period between transport and slaughter is a critical welfare point where good or poor management significantly affects the final hours of an animal's life.
The lairage period should provide rest and recovery from transport stress, but poor management can add to rather than reduce the cumulative welfare burden. Mixing pens create social conflict. Excessive noise from machinery and handling elevates cortisol and impairs blood quality. Skilled, low-stress handling during movement from lairage to stun box substantially reduces fear and physical injury. The welfare of animals in lairage is increasingly monitored using outcome-based measures including fall rates, electric goad use, and vocalisation frequency. These measures have been shown to reflect genuine differences in animal experience and respond to management interventions.