The final stages of a farm animals life, from farm to abattoir, represent a critical welfare period.
Pre-slaughter welfare deserves more attention than it typically receives. The series of events from farm departure to stunning — loading, transport, unloading, lairage, handling, and stunning — each carry welfare costs that compound. Animals in the lairage can hear and smell what is happening. CO2 stunning in pigs causes hyperventilation and distress lasting 20-30 seconds before unconsciousness. The final welfare quality of an animals life matters morally and practically, independent of how the rest of their life was managed.