Livestock

Farmed Chicken Slaughter and Welfare at End of Life

Slaughter is the most critical welfare intervention point in broiler production.

Key Facts

Over 1 billion chickens are slaughtered annually in the UK
Conventional slaughter uses electrical water bath stunning
Controlled atmosphere killing (CAK) is considered more humane by welfare scientists
Live-hang before slaughter causes acute pain from broken bones and dislocations

Welfare Considerations

Conventional broiler slaughter involves live-hanging on shackle lines, which causes broken legs and wing injuries as birds struggle. Water bath stunning can be unreliable for large birds. Controlled atmosphere killing with inert gases induces unconsciousness without the handling stress and injury of live-shackling and is considered the more humane alternative by many welfare scientists.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for controlled atmosphere killing to replace water bath systems
Advocate for mandatory post-stun confirmation protocols
Choose higher welfare certified chicken products
Reduce conventional broiler consumption to reduce demand for low-welfare slaughter systems