The final hours before slaughter — loading, transport, and lairage — are among the most stressful for poultry. Improving welfare during this phase reduces suffering for billions of birds annually.
Pre-slaughter handling is a critical and often overlooked welfare bottleneck for poultry. Because the numbers involved are enormous — billions of birds globally per year — even small improvements in procedure have massive aggregate welfare impact. Controlled atmosphere stunning at farm, better catching technique training, journey time limits, and transport climate control are among the most effective interventions. Industry, regulators, and consumers all have roles in driving improvement.