Intensive Farming

Poultry Ventilation Shutdown Welfare

Ventilation shutdown has been used to depopulate poultry flocks during disease outbreaks, causing extreme welfare concerns.

Key Facts

Ventilation shutdown kills birds through heatstroke over hours
It was used extensively during avian influenza outbreaks in the US
Alternative methods including foam and CO2 are faster and more humane
Industry welfare standards vary in whether they permit ventilation shutdown

Welfare Considerations

Ventilation shutdown causes death through hyperthermia over periods of hours, with birds experiencing extreme distress, organ failure, and prolonged suffering before death. It is considered by welfare scientists to be one of the most inhumane methods available. More rapid alternatives exist. The use of ventilation shutdown as a default method represents a preventable welfare failure.

What You Can Do

Advocate for bans on ventilation shutdown in poultry depopulation
Support welfare organizations lobbying for rapid depopulation methods
Buy poultry from producers with explicit humane depopulation commitments
Contact elected representatives about depopulation welfare standards