Pre-Slaughter Transport and Lairage Welfare

The final journey to slaughter and time in the lairage holding area are high-risk periods for animal welfare.

Key Facts

Up to 1.5 million pigs die during transport to slaughter in the US annually
Mixing unfamiliar pigs during lairage causes fighting and injury
Lairage periods of 2-4 hours allow animals to recover from transport stress before slaughter
Water and feeding access during lairage significantly reduces stress responses
Stunning immediately after unloading without lairage rest increases welfare problems

Welfare Considerations

The period from farm departure to slaughter involves multiple welfare risks that compound to affect both animal experience and meat quality. Transport causes physical injury, dehydration, and social stress. Lairage mixing of unfamiliar groups from different farms causes aggression in pigs and social disruption in cattle. Well-designed lairage with adequate rest time, water access, and calm handling significantly reduces pre-slaughter suffering. The quality of the final hours of a farm animals life is a welfare concern independent of how the rest of their life was managed.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards requiring adequate lairage time and water access
Advocate for CCTV monitoring in lairage areas and during unloading
Choose meat from farms with transparency about their slaughter chain welfare
Learn about pre-slaughter handling and its effects on both animal welfare and meat quality
Support regulations limiting maximum journey times before slaughter