Slaughter plant welfare is the final welfare event for farm animals, and conditions including lairage management, stunning effectiveness and slaughter line speed determine the quality of individual deaths.
Animals that are inadequately stunned before killing regain consciousness during the slaughter process, experiencing acute pain and awareness during death. Fear during lairage and handling amplifies suffering even in animals that are subsequently correctly stunned. Slaughter line speed pressure creates economic incentives to rush welfare-critical procedures. The welfare of individual animals at slaughter is determined by the culture, training and oversight within individual facilities.