The period from arrival at slaughter to killing is a critical welfare window for poultry; time in lairage, climate control, and handling affect welfare significantly.
Pre-slaughter lairage is a welfare-intensive period for poultry. Birds arrive stressed from transport and face additional stressors from crowding, temperature, noise, and handling before killing. Live shackling and electrical water bath stunning requires birds to be inverted while conscious, causing distress and missed stuns. Controlled atmosphere killing before any handling is the highest welfare alternative available at commercial scale.