The final hours of a pig's life at slaughter involve significant welfare risks including handling stress, stunning failures, and social disruption. Improving slaughter welfare requires attention to both technology and stockmanship.
The slaughter process is among the highest-impact welfare moments in a farmed pig's life. Carbon dioxide stunning, while convenient for operators, causes a distressing suffocation response in pigs during the 30-60 seconds before loss of consciousness. Pigs show clear aversion when exposed to high carbon dioxide concentrations. Alternative gases and electrical stunning methods can achieve unconsciousness without this aversive induction period but require capital investment and retraining. Reducing the number of pigs that regain consciousness before death requires regular auditing of stunning effectiveness. Pre-slaughter handling — including avoiding mixing unfamiliar groups and minimizing waiting times — is achievable immediately with behavioral training alone.