The lairage period at slaughterhouses — holding before slaughter — is a significant welfare risk point. Evidence-based lairage management reduces suffering for millions of animals.
The lairage period represents the final hours of an animal's life, and welfare during this period matters. Animals arriving from long journeys face the additional stresses of an unfamiliar environment, new smells, sounds, and the mixing of unfamiliar animals. Aggression injuries, thermal stress, and fear are all documented welfare problems in lairage. Well-managed lairage provides adequate space to avoid overcrowding, maintains appropriate temperature, provides water, separates unfamiliar animals to prevent aggression, and ensures that the period between arrival and slaughter is minimised. The Official Veterinarian role in welfare inspection is critical to maintaining standards.