The period that pigs spend in lairage — holding pens at abattoirs — before slaughter is a high-welfare-risk period involving unfamiliar environments, social mixing, and stress that can cause significant suffering.
Pre-slaughter lairage is one of the most welfare-significant and practically tractable improvement opportunities in pig supply chains. The mixing of unfamiliar pigs, the strange environment, the noise and smell of an abattoir, and the often-inadequate flooring and ventilation of older lairage facilities combine to produce a period of intense acute stress for animals already weakened by transport. Management interventions that maintain social group integrity through lairage, reduce holding times, improve flooring to prevent slipping, ensure adequate ventilation and temperature control, and provide human-animal interaction protocols reduce this stress. These improvements require investment in both infrastructure and stockperson training but are achievable within current production economics, particularly when linked to improved meat quality outcomes that align welfare and commercial interests.