The slaughter process involves multiple stages with significant welfare implications. Evidence-based standards for lairage, handling, and stunning can substantially reduce fear and pain in cattle at the end of their lives.
Cattle at slaughter are at their most vulnerable: they are in an unfamiliar environment, stressed by lairage conditions and handling, and dependent entirely on the skill and care of slaughter plant personnel for a humane death. Captive bolt stunning, when correctly applied to the correct location on the skull, renders cattle instantaneously insensible. However, misplacement, equipment malfunction, or inadequate maintenance cause failed or partial stuns that leave animals conscious during subsequent procedures. Post-stun monitoring is essential to catch and address ineffective stuns. Lairage conditions — adequate space, bedding, and water access — significantly affect the stress level of animals entering the stunning area and their susceptibility to handling-related welfare problems. Welfare at slaughter is both auditable and improvable with commitment and investment.