The welfare of broiler chickens at slaughter is compromised by handling, shackling, and stunning systems that cause significant fear, pain, and suffering for billions of birds annually.
Slaughter represents the final welfare moment of a broiler chicken's life, and for billions of birds it involves fear, pain, and in some cases the experience of being killed while conscious. The scale makes this one of the largest single sources of animal suffering in food production. Controlled atmosphere stunning systems that render birds unconscious before handling exist and produce better welfare outcomes. The barrier to adoption is cost and infrastructure investment. Regulatory requirements and consumer purchasing standards that mandate better stunning methods can shift the economics in favor of welfare.