End-of-lay management is a critical welfare moment for layer hens, encompassing induced moulting practices, transport to slaughter, and slaughter methods for spent hens.
End-of-lay represents a welfare crisis point concentrated in a short time window. Bone fractures — primarily keel bone fractures accumulated across a laying life — mean many hens arrive at slaughter already in chronic pain. The catching process for end-of-lay hens involves mechanical catchers or manual inversion, both of which cause additional fractures in already fragile birds. Feed withdrawal moulting, where hens are denied feed for up to 14 days to stimulate a new laying cycle, causes acute hunger, stereotypic pecking, and significant weight loss before any welfare benefit. Gas stunning systems (CAS using CO2 or inert gas) offer better welfare outcomes than electrical water-bath stunning for spent hens, as unconsciousness is achieved before hanging. On-farm killing by trained staff using approved methods should be available as an alternative to transport for flocks in poor condition.